A shocking arrest of a 101-year-old great-grandmother on drug trafficking charges has captured widespread public attention across Nigeria, emerging alongside a series of major drug busts carried out by the country’s National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
Esther Ogunmabo, the elderly suspect, was taken into custody on a Saturday in Ogun State, a southwestern region of Nigeria, NDLEA officials confirmed. During the operation, agents seized 90 grams of skunk, a potent strain of cannabis, packaged into small retail sachets ready for sale, according to Femi Babafemi, the agency’s head of media communications.
In statements to investigators, Ogunmabo shared that she entered the illegal drug trade after an accidental fire destroyed her small legal provisions shop, leaving her without a source of income. Authorities also revealed that her daughter, a resident of Nigeria’s largest city Lagos, has been taken into custody as well. Investigators allege the daughter arranged for fresh cannabis supplies to be delivered to Ogunmabo every four days, which Ogunmabo then split into smaller portions to sell to local buyers in her community.
In recognition of Ogunmabo’s advanced age, NDLEA chief executive Mohamed Marwa ordered that the suspect be released on bail and provided with counseling support. This bail arrangement does not close the case, however: Ogunmabo still faces potential formal criminal charges for her alleged involvement in the drug trade.
The high-profile centenarian arrest coincided with a broader push by the NDLEA to disrupt large-scale drug trafficking networks across Nigeria’s maritime borders. Just one day before Ogunmabo’s apprehension, NDLEA operatives acting on verified intelligence intercepted a wooden boat traveling in international waters off the coast of Akwa Ibom State. The vessel was en route to Cameroon, and agents arrested three people on board while seizing more than 42 kilograms of untaxed, illegal narcotics.
In a separate milestone for the agency, the operation also marked the first time the NDLEA has successfully intercepted an illegal drug shipment originating from Thailand, highlighting the expansion of the agency’s efforts to disrupt transnational drug trafficking routes connected to Nigeria.
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