The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested an 85-year-old woman, Grace Ehimeka, popularly known as Mama Grace, for alleged drug trafficking after recovering 179kg of cannabis from her in Edo State.
Five other suspected drug dealers were also arrested during coordinated operations across several communities in the state, with officers seizing a total of 407.39kg of cannabis and other illicit substances.
The NDLEA Commander in Edo State, Mitchell Ofoyeju, disclosed this in a statement made available to journalists in Benin City on Monday.
According to Ofoyeju, Ehimeka was arrested at her residence in Warake community on October 16, 2026, following intelligence reports on suspected drug-related activities.
The commander said the operation resulted in the recovery of 15 bags of cannabis weighing 179kg, alongside other drugs seized from the suspects during separate raids.
The substances recovered included 546g of loud, 114g of tramadol, 4g of diazepam and 3g of Swinol.
Ofoyeju identified the other suspects as Ali Garba, 57; Habib Braimoh, 45; Musa Mubid, 35; Ayo Aigberadion, 53; and Hope Okoro, 35. They were arrested in Ivbiaro, Warake, Ewe/Irue and Auchi following intelligence-led operations.
He said Garba was arrested in Ivbiaro on October 15 with 5.85kg of cannabis, while Braimoh was apprehended in the same community that day with 100g of the substance.
Mubid was reportedly arrested in Warake with 2kg of cannabis, 309g of cannabis seeds, 114g of loud and 135g of assorted pharmaceutical drugs, including tramadol, Swinol and diazepam.
Similarly, Aigberadion was arrested in Ewe/Irue, Owan East Local Government Area, on October 16, with 220.8kg of cannabis.
Okoro was also apprehended in Auchi with 237g of loud. The statement, however, described Auchi as being in Delta State, although Auchi is located in Edo State.
Reacting to the arrest of the octogenarian, Ofoyeju said the agency would not tolerate violations of the law based on the age of suspects.
“The NDLEA Act is clear: you cannot hide under the canopy of old age and perpetrate acts that violate the law. The octogenarian, Grace Ehimeka, was apprehended on October 16, 2026, in her house at Warake community. This is a bad example for her children and grandchildren,” he said.
The commander added that Ehimeka admitted ownership of the cannabis in her statement to the agency and appealed for forgiveness.
“I am a widow and started selling cannabis over two years ago just to survive. My family members have warned me to stop, but I kept postponing my decision to stop. Officers, if you give me another chance, I will never sell cannabis again,” she reportedly pleaded.
Ofoyeju said the arrests and seizures formed part of the command’s renewed efforts to dismantle drug trafficking networks and curb substance abuse across Edo State.
He urged members of the public to provide credible and timely information to assist the agency in identifying and apprehending individuals involved in illicit drug activities.
