A 101-year-old great-grandmother, Esther Ogunmabo, has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for allegedly dealing in illicit drugs in Ilisan, Ogun State.
Ogunmabo was arrested on Saturday, August 15, with 90 grammes of skunk, a strain of cannabis, packaged in small sachets for sale. According to the NDLEA, she told operatives that she sold the substance to people in the area.
The agency’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday.
According to the statement, Ogunmabo said she turned to the illicit drug trade after a fire destroyed her provisions shop.
“The centenarian told operatives that she resorted to the illicit drug trade after her provisions shop was razed by fire,” the NDLEA said.
The agency further said the woman claimed that one of her daughters, who lives in Lagos, supplied the cannabis to her every four days, after which she sold it in smaller quantities to customers.
“The daughter, who resides in Lagos, arranges the supply of the substance to her every four days, which she in turn sold in bits,” the statement added.
Following her arrest, the NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), directed that Ogunmabo be granted bail and placed on counselling because of her advanced age.
The agency also arrested the daughter who was allegedly involved in supplying the cannabis.
The NDLEA said the 101-year-old was arrested as part of its recent operations against illicit drug trafficking across the country.
The agency did not disclose how long Ogunmabo had allegedly been involved in the sale of cannabis.