101-year-old great-grandma arrested for selling drugs in sachets

Nigerian authorities have arrested a 101-year-old great-grandmother, Esther Ogunmabo, for allegedly dealing in illicit drugs in Ilisan, Ogun State. Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) found her with retail sachets of skunk, a cannabis strain, weighing 90 grams. Ogunmabo reportedly told investigators that she began selling drugs after her provisions shop was destroyed by fire.

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Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have recorded significant breakthroughs across the country’s land and maritime borders, including the arrest of a 101-year-old great-grandmother for dealing in illicit drugs.

She also stated that her daughter, who lives in Lagos, arranges for the supply of the substance every four days. The NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, confirmed the arrest and the details provided by the centenarian. The agency's Chairman, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), directed that Ogunmabo be granted bail and placed on counseling due to her advanced age.

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NDLEA operatives on Saturday, August 15, 2026, arrested a 101-year-old woman, Esther Ogunmabo, in Ilisan, Ogun State, with retail sachets of skunk, a strain of cannabis, weighing 90 grams, which she claims she sells to locals.

In a related operation, NDLEA operatives intercepted a wooden boat carrying illicit drugs destined for Cameroon. Three suspects were arrested with significant quantities of skunk and cocaine. The agency also reported its first seizure of "Loud" cannabis from Thailand at the Apapa and Lekki ports, with a combined street value exceeding N4.4 billion.

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The centenarian told operatives that she resorted to the illicit drug trade after her provisions shop was razed by fire, adding that one of her daughters, who resides in Lagos, arranges the supply of the substance to her every four days, which she in turn sold in bits.