Nigeria drug arrests: '101-year-old great-grandmother' detained for selling cannabis - BBC News
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'101-year-old great-grandmother' arrested for selling cannabis in Nigeria
Image source: NDLEA
Image caption: Esther Ogunmabo said she started selling illicit drugs after her shop was destroyed in a fire
By Mansur Abubakar | Reporting from Abuja | Published 20 minutes ago
An elderly woman, who authorities claim is 101 years old, has been arrested in Nigeria for allegedly selling cannabis, drawing widespread attention.
Esther Ogunmabo, described as a great-grandmother, was apprehended on Saturday in Ogun state, southwestern Nigeria, by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
Femi Babafemi, NDLEA's media director, stated that the centenarian was found with "retail sachets of skunk, a strain of cannabis weighing 90 grams, which she claims she sells to locals."
The NDLEA reported that Ogunmabo told investigators she turned to the illicit drug trade after her provisions shop was destroyed by fire. She has been released on bail.
According to Ndlea, one of her daughters, who resides in Lagos, allegedly arranged for the supply of the substance to her every four days. Ogunmabo is accused of then selling it on in smaller quantities to customers within her community.
Ndlea chief executive Mohamed Marwa directed that the suspect be granted bail and provided counseling due to her advanced age.
Ogunmabo's bail status means she could still face criminal charges. Her daughter has also been arrested.
Her arrest comes as Ndlea also reported significant drug seizures along Nigeria's maritime routes. In Akwa Ibom state, operatives intercepted a wooden boat on the high seas last Friday, bound for Cameroon, and arrested three individuals on board. Over 42kg of narcotics were recovered from the suspects.
In what the agency termed a milestone, Ndlea also recorded its first-ever seizure of illicit drugs shipped from Thailand.