The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has rearrested an 83-year-old woman, Uloma Uchechi Sunday, for alleged drug trafficking while recording major drug seizures across several states.
NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, disclosed in a statement on Sunday that the octogenarian was arrested at her residence in Obingwa Local Government Area of Abia State after intelligence reports linked her to a drug distribution network.
According to the agency, methamphetamine and Colorado, a synthetic cannabis product, were recovered from the suspect.
The arrest comes barely a year after Sunday and her daughter, Chisom Uchechi, were convicted for drug-related offences and given the option of fines instead of prison terms.
In a separate operation, NDLEA operatives and officers of the Nigeria Customs Service arrested a South African national, Gebashe Sithandiwe Jessie, at Port Harcourt International Airport with 32.74 kilogrammes of Thai Loud cannabis allegedly concealed in her luggage.
The agency said the suspect arrived from Thailand through Doha aboard a Qatar Airways flight.
Across the country, NDLEA operatives seized more than 2.8 tonnes of cannabis and large quantities of tramadol, tapentadol, diazepam and other illicit substances in coordinated operations across Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, Edo, Cross River, Ondo, Taraba and Plateau states.
Among the major seizures was 1,100 kilogrammes of cannabis recovered in Cross River State and 1,027 kilogrammes intercepted along the Zaria-Kaduna Expressway.
The agency also intercepted 354,000 tablets of tapentadol at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
In Plateau State, officers recovered firearms and ammunition during a raid linked to drug trafficking activities.
NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd.), commended officers involved in the operations and urged commands nationwide to sustain intelligence-led enforcement while intensifying anti-drug awareness campaigns.
