The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a South African woman at the Port Harcourt International Airport in Rivers State after she was allegedly found transporting more than 32 kilogrammes of cannabis into Nigeria. The arrest followed a joint operation involving the NDLEA and the Nigeria Customs Service, as authorities intensified efforts to intercept prohibited substances entering the country through international airports.
The suspect, identified as Gebashe Sithandiwe Jessie, was apprehended at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, after arriving on Qatar Airways flight QR1431 from Doha. According to a statement issued on Sunday, October 11, 2026, by NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy Femi Babafemi, officers recovered 30 parcels of a potent cannabis strain known as Thai Loud, weighing approximately 32.74 kilogrammes. The agency said the substances were concealed inside two travelling bags belonging to the passenger.
Investigators reported that the woman had travelled from Thailand through Doha before arriving in Port Harcourt. The NDLEA alleged that the journey formed part of an attempt to transport prohibited cannabis into Nigeria. The agency's account identified the route taken by the suspect, although the precise date of her arrival was not specified in the reports reviewed.
The interception was first publicised by the Nigeria Customs Service, whose Port Harcourt Area I Command confirmed that officers had recovered 30 wraps of suspected high-potency cannabis from a female passenger arriving from South Africa. Customs officials subsequently transferred the seized substances to the NDLEA on Wednesday, October 7, for further investigation and necessary action.
In a statement issued on October 8, the Customs Command's Public Relations Officer, Assistant Superintendent of Customs I Barilule Aanee, said the interception formed part of efforts to prevent illicit drugs from entering Nigerian communities. The statement was issued on behalf of the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Salamatu Atuluku, who commended the officers involved in the operation.
Atuluku said the movement of prohibited substances across international borders remained a matter of concern for law enforcement agencies. She emphasised that drug trafficking and substance abuse presented risks to public health, particularly among young people, and called for sustained vigilance at entry points across the country.
The Customs Area Controller also acknowledged the leadership of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, and the management of the service for supporting anti-smuggling operations. She maintained that officers would continue working with other relevant agencies to intercept prohibited consignments and ensure that suspected offenders were investigated under the law.
During the handover, Assistant Commander General of Narcotics Nathaniel Negedu represented the NDLEA and commended the Customs Service for its role in the interception. He described cooperation between security agencies as essential to identifying suspected trafficking activities and ensuring that seized substances were transferred to the appropriate authorities for investigation.
The handover also demonstrated the different responsibilities of Customs and the NDLEA at international entry points. Customs officers are responsible for enforcing import restrictions and detecting prohibited goods, while the NDLEA investigates suspected drug offences and carries out enforcement under Nigeria's drug control laws. Cooperation between both agencies can therefore be important in cases involving passengers and international consignments.
In its subsequent statement, the NDLEA provided further details about the South African suspect and the quantity of cannabis allegedly recovered. The agency identified the substance as Thai Loud, a name commonly associated with high-potency cannabis. Earlier Customs reports had described the intercepted material as Canadian Loud, but both accounts referred to 30 parcels recovered at the Port Harcourt airport.
The difference in descriptions is relevant because the commercial or street names used for cannabis products do not necessarily establish their precise origin or chemical composition. The NDLEA's account identified Thailand as the starting point of the suspect's reported journey, while the earlier Customs announcement referred to her arrival from South Africa. The reports did not establish through independent laboratory documentation the precise composition of the recovered substances.
According to the NDLEA, Jessie allegedly admitted during questioning that she had previously transported prohibited drugs through other African countries. The agency further alleged that she intended to extend those activities to Port Harcourt. These statements remain part of the investigators' account and should not be treated as judicial findings against the suspect.
The agency did not provide independently verified details of the alleged earlier trafficking operations, including the countries involved, the dates of those journeys or any previous criminal convictions. Consequently, the reported admission cannot establish that the suspect had previously been convicted of a drug offence. Any such allegation would require appropriate evidence if presented during criminal proceedings.
The arrest was among several operations disclosed by the NDLEA on Sunday as the agency reported seizures and arrests across different states. In Abia State, officers also rearrested an 83-year-old woman, Uloma Uchechi Sunday, following allegations that she had resumed dealing in prohibited substances after an earlier conviction.
According to Babafemi, the elderly woman was apprehended on Wednesday, October 7, at her residence in Ite-Uzo, Umuaguma, Obingwa Local Government Area. Officers allegedly recovered quantities of methamphetamine and Colorado concealed around her waist beneath a wrapper. The NDLEA said the operation followed intelligence concerning suspected drug distribution activities at the property.
The agency explained that Uloma had previously been arrested alongside her daughter in May 2025 and subsequently convicted of drug-related offences. The latest arrest was presented as a separate development requiring investigation, notwithstanding the earlier court proceedings.
In another operation, NDLEA officers at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos intercepted 354,000 tablets of tapentadol weighing approximately 307.20 kilogrammes in a shipment reportedly originating from Pakistan. The seizure was included in the agency's nationwide enforcement update, which covered suspected trafficking activities involving different prohibited substances.
The Port Harcourt arrest highlights the role of international airports in Nigeria's drug enforcement operations and the importance of cooperation between agencies responsible for border security. However, the seizure and the suspect's reported statements remain matters for investigation, and any criminal responsibility must be established through the appropriate legal process.
As of the announcement, the NDLEA had not provided details of a completed prosecution or conviction involving Jessie. The suspect remains entitled to the presumption of innocence, while investigators continue the procedures necessary to determine whether criminal charges should be pursued.
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Verification: October 8–11, 2026 reporting on statements issued by the Nigeria Customs Service and NDLEA.
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