The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has confirmed the arrest of a 101-year-old woman, Esther Ogunmabo, for allegedly dealing in cannabis in Ilisan, Ogun State.
According to a statement by NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, operatives arrested Ogunmabo on Saturday, August 15, 2026, with 90 grams of skunk (a strain of cannabis) packaged in retail sachets intended for sale to local residents.
The centenarian, described as a great-grandmother, told investigators that she turned to the illicit trade after a fire destroyed her provisions shop. She further stated that one of her daughters, who resides in Lagos, supplied her with the substance every four days, which she then sold in small quantities.
NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd.), directed that Ogunmabo be granted bail and placed on counselling in view of her advanced age. Her daughter has been arrested in connection with the supply of the drugs.
The arrest forms part of a series of significant NDLEA operations across the country. In a separate incident in Akwa Ibom State on August 21, operatives intercepted a wooden boat heading toward fishing settlements in Cameroon and recovered approximately 42.622 kilograms of illicit drugs, including skunk and 20 grams of cocaine cleverly concealed inside a wrap of edible cassava fufu.
Additionally, the agency seized 1,490.5 kilograms of cannabis indica (popularly known as “Loud”) valued at more than ₦4.4 billion at the Apapa and Lekki ports in Lagos. NDLEA described this as its first interception of illicit drugs shipped from Thailand through the maritime corridor.
The case of the 101-year-old suspect has drawn widespread public attention due to her age, marking one of the oldest individuals ever arrested by the agency for drug-related offences. Investigations into the broader network continue.
About the Author
