SOUTH AFRICAN WOMAN, US-BASED GRANDMA ARRESTED WITH LARGE COCAINE, LOUD SHIPMENTS, AS NDLEA NABS PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED LADY IN DELTA, RECOVERS TONS OF ILLICIT DRUGS IN KANO, LAGOS, BAUCHI, NIGER, EDO, ONDO, TARABA, OYO RAIDS
By Olayiwola Ibrahim // Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have arrested a 34-year-old South African woman, Qhina Beauty, with 36.65 kilograms of cocaine at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja, Lagos, and a 62-year-old Nigerian-American grandmother, Anetor Gloria Ubong, with 9.45kg of high-grade cannabis, Loud, imported from the United States.
In separate operations across the country, the agency also recovered tons of illicit drugs in 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 travelling bags led to the recovery of 30 blocks of cocaine weighing 36.65kg, laced with dried pepper, wrapped in cellophane tape and packed in seven separate parcels.
During interrogation, she told operatives she arrived in Nigeria on September 30 specifically to pick up the consignment. She said she was recruited by another South African lady who promised her R20,000 on successful delivery.
She claimed she was introduced to two other members of the syndicate – one based in the United States and the other a Lagos-based car dealer.
Investigations later led to the arrest, on October 14, of the 46-year-old car dealer, Uchenna Victor Umunnakwe, who was intercepted at Apple Junction, Ago Palace Way, Lagos, after days of surveillance at his Shasha residence.
He 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 interdiction operation at the Lagos airport, NDLEA officers on Wednesday, October 21, arrested 62-year-old Anetor Gloria Ubong, a realtor based in Richmond, Texas, who holds both Nigerian and US passports.
She was arrested following her 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.
She claimed the box was delivered to her home in the US by her daughter and her daughter’s future brother-in-law, for onward delivery in Nigeria to her daughter’s fiancé, Jibola.
Meanwhile, operatives of a special operations unit of the NDLEA on Friday, October 23, arrested Eletu Rasheedat, 41, in Eti-Osa area of Lagos, where they recovered 5,820 pills of diazepam, 780 tablets of tramadol, 3.7kg of skunk and 230.25 litres of skuchies.
In Delta State, a suspect, Peter Ugochukwu, 51, was arrested in Warri with a huge cache of pharmaceutical opioids, including 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, 200 ampoules of diazepam injection, and quantities of tramadol 225mg, Molly and Cocodamol.
He was transferred along with a white Hummer bus from the Nigeria Police Force, Delta State.
In a separate arrest at Enhere Junction, Warri, a 46-year-old physically challenged woman, Helen Bakporo Samson, was arrested on Monday, October 19, with 6.0kg of skunk.
A 41-year-old suspect, Fajana Dada Oluwaseyi, was also arrested on Monday, October 19, in Adamasingba, Ibadan, following his initial escape from arrest when NDLEA officers seized 197.8kg of cannabis sativa from his house on September 16.
A raid in Gerawa area of Kano on Thursday, October 22, led to the arrest of Murtala Lawan, 30, and seizure of 159 blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 97.2kg, while NDLEA officers at the Lankaviri checkpoint, Yorro LGA, Taraba, on Friday, October 23, arrested Raiyanu Misa, 39, with 95 blocks of compressed cannabis weighing 60.175kg.
On the same day, the Nigeria Police Force handed over a suspect arrested at Dakka village, Bali LGA, with 112 blocks of compressed cannabis weighing 81.49kg.
In Niger State, Emmanuel Ekene, 26, was arrested on Monday, October 19, on the Sabo-Kainji road, Borgu LGA, with 64,000 pills of opioids including tramadol and diazepam, while officers arrested Jamilu Mustapha, alias Last Card, 45, on Wednesday, October 21, at Nasaru Town, Ningi LGA, Bauchi State, where they seized 379kg of cannabis sativa packed in seven jumbo sacks.
Acting on intelligence, NDLEA officers on Tuesday, October 20, raided a farm at Board-Ala, Akure South, Ondo State and recovered 56 bags of abandoned cannabis sativa weighing 583kg.
Two cannabis farms in Ugbada Forest, Uzebba, Owan West LGA, Edo State, with an estimated yield of 2,023.14kg, were destroyed on Sunday, October 18, by operatives who also burnt 450kg of processed cannabis at the site and took 97kg as exhibit.
In a related operation at Ewe community, Owan West, Mary Edokhai, 42, was arrested with 35kg of the same substance.
Meanwhile, Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, sensitization activities in schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities.
These include WADA enlightenment lectures at Oje Grammar School, Ibadan, Oyo State; Government Day Secondary School, Kwamba, Niger State, Baptist Primary School, Olorunda, Ogun State, Government Secondary School, Yalea, Kano, Community Secondary School, Igogoro, Enugu, Urban Girls Secondary School, Onitsha, Anambra, and Kelebe Community Grammar School, Osogbo, Osun State, among others.
Commending the officers and men of MMIA, Kano, Lagos, Bauchi, Niger, Edo, Ondo, Taraba, Oyo and Delta Commands for the successful operations, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), urged them and their colleagues across the country to sustain the tempo of the war against drug trafficking and substance abuse.
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