The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 30-year-old South African woman, Gebashe Sithandiwe Jessie, following the interception of 32.74 kilogrammes of cannabis at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, Rivers State.
The suspect was apprehended during a joint operation involving NDLEA operatives and officers of the Nigeria Customs Service after arriving in Nigeria aboard Qatar Airways flight QR1431 from Thailand through Doha.
NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, who disclosed the development in a statement on Sunday, October 11, 2026, said the prohibited substance, identified as Thai Loud, was concealed in two travelling bags containing 30 parcels.
According to Babafemi, the suspect allegedly admitted during interrogation that she had previously trafficked drugs through other African countries and was attempting to extend her operations to Port Harcourt when she was intercepted.
In a related development, NDLEA operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, intercepted 354,000 tablets of Tapentadol 250mg, weighing 307.20 kilogrammes, in a consignment shipped from Pakistan aboard a Royal Air Maroc flight.
The agency explained that the nine-carton shipment had been placed under surveillance following its arrival on September 29, 2026. A joint examination conducted on October 6 led to the discovery of the tablets.
Another operation at the Lagos airport resulted in the interception of 70 parcels of Colorado, a synthetic cannabinoid weighing 75.90 kilogrammes, concealed in six Ghana-Must-Go bags within a consolidated cargo from the United Kingdom.
Babafemi said the consignment arrived on September 29 and was subsequently monitored by NDLEA operatives.
A clearing agent, John Edrah, 54, was arrested on September 30 in connection with the shipment. Other suspects apprehended during follow-up operations included Taofiq Ajibola, 54, an Uber driver; Adetunji Adebayo; and Kazeem Damola Dosunmu, 48, a clothing trader.
The agency said Ajibola and Dosunmu linked the consignments to separate individuals based in the United Kingdom.
In Cross River State, NDLEA operatives arrested 46-year-old Adama Inuwa during an operation at Iyala Nkun village in Ikom Local Government Area on October 4.
The operation resulted in the recovery of 181 bags of cannabis weighing 1,100 kilogrammes, alongside 17.15 kilogrammes of cannabis seeds.
Similarly, in Edo State, operatives intercepted a black Toyota Camry at Otuo in Owan East Local Government Area on October 5, recovering 1,049 blocks of compressed cannabis weighing 702.83 kilogrammes.
Three suspects, Monday Orji, 52; Monday Lawal, 40; and Precious Uduegele, 20, were arrested in connection with the seizure.
A separate operation at Asoro, off Sakponba Road in Benin City, led to the arrest of 26-year-old Ojugo Mercy, with operatives recovering 989 grammes of Loud, 13 grammes of Colorado and 83 grammes of methamphetamine.
The agency also reported further seizures and arrests in other parts of the country as part of its continuing operations against illicit drug trafficking.
Reacting to the developments, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brigadier-General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers involved in the operations for their professionalism and intelligence-led enforcement efforts.
Marwa urged personnel nationwide to sustain the agency’s approach to drug control, combining enforcement operations with preventive measures aimed at reducing illicit drug trafficking and abuse.
The allegations against the arrested suspects remain subject to investigation and the applicable judicial processes.
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