A 101-year-old great-grandmother has been arrested in southwestern Nigeria for allegedly selling cannabis, according to the country’s drug enforcement agency.
Esther Ogunmabo was detained on Saturday in Ogun state after officers found her with small packets of cannabis intended for retail sale, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency said.
NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi said officers recovered about 90 grams of “skunk”, a potent strain of cannabis, which Ogunmabo allegedly told investigators she sold to people in her community.
Authorities said Ogunmabo claimed she entered the drug trade after a fire destroyed the provisions shop she had relied on for income.
Investigators allege that one of her daughters, who lives in Lagos, supplied her with cannabis roughly every four days. Ogunmabo would then divide the drugs into smaller quantities for sale locally, according to the agency.
Her daughter has also been arrested.
NDLEA chief Mohamed Marwa ordered Ogunmabo’s release on bail because of her advanced age and directed that she receive counselling. She could still face criminal charges as the investigation continues.
The unusual arrest has attracted widespread attention in Nigeria, where authorities have intensified operations against drug trafficking networks.
The NDLEA also announced several other seizures in recent days.
In Akwa Ibom state, officers intercepted a wooden boat travelling towards Cameroon on Friday and arrested three people on board. Authorities said more than 42 kilograms of narcotics were recovered.
The agency also reported what it described as its first seizure of illicit drugs shipped into Nigeria from Thailand.