An 83-year-old grandmother, Mrs Uloma Uchechi Sunday, has been arrested again by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for alleged drug trafficking, barely a year after she was convicted for a similar offence.
The octogenarian was reportedly found with quantities of methamphetamine and Colorado, a potent synthetic cannabis substance, concealed around her waist with a wrapper during a raid on her residence in Ite-Uzo, Umuaguma, Obingwa Local Government Area of Abia State.
Her arrest on Wednesday, October 7, followed intelligence reports alleging that she operated a notorious drug joint where criminal elements accused of terrorising the community allegedly gathered.
According to a statement issued by the NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, the latest arrest came about five months after the grandmother and her daughter, Chisom Uchechi, 32, were arrested for drug-related offences at the same residence.
The mother and daughter were first apprehended on May 17, 2025, with 50 grammes of methamphetamine, 522 grammes of skunk, 260 grammes of fresh cannabis leaves and 12 grammes of tramadol.
Babafemi disclosed that both women pleaded guilty to the charges and were sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment or an alternative fine of N200,000 each. They reportedly paid the fines and were released.
However, the NDLEA alleged that Uloma returned to the illicit drug trade after her release and subsequently established a drug joint at her residence.
The agency said her latest arrest followed renewed intelligence about her alleged activities and the presence of criminal elements at the location. 
In a separate operation, NDLEA operatives, working in collaboration with the Nigeria Customs Service, arrested a South African woman, Gebashe Sithandiwe Jessie, at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, Rivers State, over the alleged importation of 32.74 kilogrammes of cannabis.
The suspect was reportedly intercepted with 30 parcels of Thai Loud, a cannabis strain, concealed in two travelling bags.
Babafemi said Jessie had travelled from Thailand through Doha aboard Qatar Airways flight QR1431 before she was arrested at the airport.
According to the NDLEA spokesperson, the suspect allegedly confessed to having previously trafficked illicit drugs through other African countries and was seeking to expand her operations to Port Harcourt when she was apprehended.
The agency said the arrest formed part of its ongoing efforts to disrupt drug trafficking networks and prevent the movement of illicit substances into and across Nigeria.
The two operations highlight the NDLEA’s continued focus on suspected drug trafficking activities, from local distribution networks to international smuggling routes.
