NDLEA arrests South African woman, US-based grandma with large cocaine, loud shipments

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have arrested a 34-year-old South African woman, Qhina Beauty, with 36.65 kilogrammes of cocaine at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, and a 62-year-old Nigerian-American grandmother, Anetor Gloria Ubong, with 9.45kg of high-grade cannabis, known as loud, imported from the United States.

The arrests were disclosed in a statement on Sunday by Femi Babafemi, Director of Media and Advocacy at the NDLEA headquarters in Abuja.

The agency also reported the seizure of large quantities of illicit drugs and the arrest of several suspects in separate operations across Kano, Lagos, Bauchi, Niger, Edo, Ondo, Taraba, Oyo and Delta states.

Qhina was arrested at the departure hall of the Lagos airport on October 7, 2026, while attempting to board a Qatar Airways flight to South Africa via Doha.

A search of her two travel bags led to the discovery of 30 blocks of cocaine weighing 36.65kg. The drugs were laced with dried pepper, wrapped in cellophane tape and packed into seven separate parcels.

During interrogation, the suspect reportedly told operatives that she arrived in Nigeria on September 30 specifically to collect the consignment.

She said another South African woman recruited her for the operation and promised to pay her R20,000 upon successful delivery. She also identified two other alleged members of the syndicate, one based in the United States and the other a car dealer in Lagos.

Further investigations led to the arrest of the 46-year-old car dealer, Uchenna Victor Umunnakwe, on October 14 at Apple Junction, Ago Palace Way, Lagos, following days of surveillance at his residence in Shasha.

According to the agency, Umunnakwe admitted receiving Qhina at the airport, lodging her at Santiago Hotel in Amuwo-Odofin and later moving her to Cynarisso Hotel near the airport ahead of her departure.

In a separate operation at the Lagos airport on Wednesday, October 21, NDLEA operatives arrested Anetor Gloria Ubong, a 62-year-old realtor based in Richmond, Texas, who holds Nigerian and United States passports.

The suspect was arrested upon arrival on a United Airlines flight from Houston.

A search of her two checked-in boxes uncovered 18 parcels of loud weighing 9.45kg, concealed with gift-wrapping paper inside a box.

She reportedly claimed that her daughter and the daughter’s future brother-in-law delivered the box to her home in the US for onward delivery in Nigeria to her daughter’s fiancé, identified as Jibola.

Meanwhile, operatives of the NDLEA’s Special Operations Unit on Friday, October 23, arrested 41-year-old Eletu Rasheedat in the Eti-Osa area of Lagos.

The operatives recovered 5,820 pills of diazepam, 780 tablets of tramadol, 3.7kg of skunk and 230.25 litres of skuchies from her.

In Delta State, a 51-year-old suspect, Peter Ugochukwu, was arrested in Warri with a large quantity of pharmaceutical opioids and other substances.

The seized items included 29,350 capsules of tramadol, 6,620 tablets of tramadol 200mg, 4,116 bottles of codeine syrup, 11,340 tablets of Rohypnol, 3,500 tablets of diazepam, 300 ampoules of pentazocine injection and 200 ampoules of diazepam injection.

Other substances recovered from him included quantities of tramadol 225mg, Molly and Cocodamol.

The agency said Ugochukwu was transferred to its custody by the Nigeria Police Force in Delta State alongside a white Hummer bus.

In another operation in Delta, NDLEA operatives arrested 46-year-old Helen Bakporo Samson, a physically challenged woman, at Enhere Junction, Warri, on Monday, October 19, with 6kg of skunk.

In Oyo State, 41-year-old Fajana Dada Oluwaseyi was arrested on October 19 in the Adamasingba area of Ibadan.

The suspect had allegedly escaped arrest after NDLEA officers seized 197.8kg of cannabis sativa from his residence on September 16.

In Kano State, a raid on the Gerawa area on Thursday, October 22, led to the arrest of 30-year-old Murtala Lawan and the seizure of 159 blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 97.2kg.

Similarly, operatives at the Lankaviri checkpoint in Yorro Local Government Area of Taraba State arrested 39-year-old Raiyanu Misa on Friday, October 23, with 95 blocks of compressed cannabis weighing 60.175kg.

The same day, the Nigeria Police Force handed over another suspect to the agency after his arrest in Dakka village, Bali Local Government Area of Taraba State, with 112 blocks of compressed cannabis weighing 81.49kg.

In Niger State, 26-year-old Emmanuel Ekene was arrested on October 19 along the Sabo-Kainji Road in Borgu Local Government Area with 64,000 opioid pills, including tramadol and diazepam.

In Bauchi State, operatives arrested 45-year-old Jamilu Mustapha, also known as Last Card, on Wednesday, October 21, at Nasaru town in Ningi Local Government Area. They recovered 379kg of cannabis sativa packed in seven jumbo sacks.

In Ondo State, NDLEA officers acting on intelligence raided a farm at Board-Ala, Akure South, on Tuesday, October 20, recovering 56 bags of abandoned cannabis sativa weighing 583kg.

In Edo State, two cannabis farms in Ugbada Forest, Uzebba, Owan West Local Government Area, were destroyed on Sunday, October 18.

The farms had an estimated yield of 2,023.14kg of cannabis. The operatives also burnt 450kg of processed cannabis at the site and took another 97kg as exhibits.

In a related operation at Ewe community in Owan West, 42-year-old Mary Edokhai was arrested with 35kg of cannabis.

The NDLEA also said its commands and formations across the country sustained their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaigns in schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities during the week.

The outreach activities included lectures for students and staff of Oje Grammar School in Ibadan, Oyo State; Government Day Secondary School, Kwamba, Niger State; Baptist Primary School, Olorunda, Ogun State; Government Secondary School, Yalea, Kano State; Community Secondary School, Igogoro, Enugu State; Urban Girls Secondary School, Onitsha, Anambra State; and Kelebe Community Grammar School, Osogbo, Osun State, among others.

The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers of the MMIA, Kano, Lagos, Bauchi, Niger, Edo, Ondo, Taraba, Oyo and Delta commands for their vigilance, professionalism and intelligence-driven operations.

Marwa urged officers across the country to sustain the momentum in the fight against drug trafficking and substance abuse.