A 34-year-old South African woman and a 62-year-old Nigerian-American grandmother have been arrested in separate drug seizures at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, with a combined 46.1 kilogrammes of cocaine and cannabis recovered from them.
The arrests were among several operations conducted by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), which recorded major drug seizures and arrests across the country.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, said the South African woman, Qhina Beauty, was arrested on October 7, 2026, at the departure hall of the Lagos airport while preparing to board a Qatar Airways flight to South Africa via Doha.
A search of her two travelling bags led to the recovery of 30 blocks of cocaine weighing 36.65 kilogrammes. The drugs were allegedly laced with dried pepper, wrapped in cello tape and packed into seven separate parcels.
Babafemi said the suspect told investigators that she arrived in Nigeria on September 30 specifically to collect the consignment. She allegedly disclosed that another South African woman recruited her and promised to pay her R20,000 upon successful delivery.
The suspect also reportedly identified two other members of the alleged syndicate, one based in the United States and the other a Lagos-based car dealer.
Further investigations led to the arrest of the car dealer, 46-year-old 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 statement, 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 another operation, NDLEA operatives arrested 62-year-old Anetor Gloria Ubong, a Nigerian-American grandmother and realtor based in Richmond, Texas, on October 21, following her arrival at the Lagos airport aboard a United Airlines flight from Houston.
A search of her two checked-in boxes uncovered 18 parcels of loud, a high-grade cannabis variety, weighing 9.45 kilogrammes. The substance was allegedly concealed in a box with gift-wrapping paper.
Babafemi said the suspect, who holds Nigerian and United States passports, claimed that her daughter and the daughter’s future brother-in-law delivered the box to her home in the US for onward delivery to her daughter’s fiancé, identified as Jibola, in Nigeria.
Beyond the airport seizures, the agency recorded further arrests and drug recoveries in Lagos, Delta, Oyo, Kano, Taraba, Niger, Bauchi, Ondo and Edo states.
In Lagos, NDLEA operatives arrested 41-year-old Eletu Rasheedat in Eti Osa on October 23, recovering 5,820 diazepam pills, 780 tramadol tablets, 3.7 kilogrammes of skunk and 230.25 litres of skuchies, a locally produced alcoholic mixture containing psychoactive substances.
In Delta State, a 51-year-old suspect, Peter Ugochukwu, was arrested in Warri with large quantities of pharmaceutical opioids and other substances.
Babafemi said the seizures included 29,350 tramadol capsules, 6,620 tablets of tramadol 200mg, 4,116 bottles of codeine syrup, 11,340 Rohypnol tablets, 3,500 diazepam tablets, 300 ampoules of pentazocine injection and 200 ampoules of diazepam injection, alongside quantities of tramadol 225mg, Molly and Cocodamol.
He added that the suspect was transferred to the NDLEA, alongside a white Hummer bus, by the Nigeria Police Force in Delta State.
In a separate operation in Warri, 46-year-old Helen Bakporo Samson, a physically challenged woman, was arrested at Enhere Junction on October 19 with six kilogrammes of skunk.
In Oyo State, operatives arrested 41-year-old Fajana Dada Oluwaseyi in Adamasingba, Ibadan, on October 19. Babafemi said the suspect had earlier escaped arrest after officers seized 197.8 kilogrammes of cannabis from his residence on September 16.
In Kano, a raid in the Gerawa area on October 22 led to the arrest of 30-year-old Murtala Lawan and the seizure of 159 blocks of cannabis weighing 97.2 kilogrammes.
In Taraba State, NDLEA officers arrested 39-year-old Raiyanu Misa at the Lankaviri checkpoint in Yorro Local Government Area on October 23 with 95 blocks of compressed cannabis weighing 60.175 kilogrammes.
Babafemi said that on the same day, the police handed over another suspect who had been arrested at Dakka village in Bali Local Government Area, alongside 112 blocks of compressed cannabis weighing 81.49 kilogrammes.
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, NDLEA operatives arrested 45-year-old Jamilu Mustapha, also known as Last Card, at Nasaru Town, Ningi Local Government Area, on October 21, seizing 379 kilogrammes of cannabis packed in seven large sacks.
The agency also recovered 583 kilogrammes of abandoned cannabis in 56 bags during a raid on a farm at Board-Ala, Akure South, Ondo State, on October 20.
In Edo State, two cannabis farms in Ugbada Forest, Uzebba, Owan West Local Government Area, with an estimated yield of 2,023.14 kilogrammes, were destroyed on October 18.
Operatives also burnt 450 kilogrammes of processed cannabis at the site and took 97 kilogrammes as exhibits. In a related operation at Ewe community, Owan West, 42-year-old Mary Edokhai was arrested with 35 kilogrammes of cannabis.
The NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Marwa (retd.), commended the officers and men involved in the operations for their vigilance, professionalism and intelligence-driven approach.
Marwa urged them and their colleagues across the country to sustain the momentum in the fight against drug trafficking and substance abuse, Babafemi said.
NDLEA Arrests South African Woman, Nigerian-American Grandma with 46kg of Drugs
