NDLEA arrests 62-year-old Nigerian-American woman with 9.45kg Cannabis at Lagos Airport

By Andra Oriyomi

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 62-year-old Nigerian-American woman after allegedly discovering 9.45 kilogrammes of cannabis, popularly known as “loud,” concealed in a gift-wrapped box inside her luggage at Lagos airport.

The suspect, identified as Anetor Gloria Ubong, a realtor based in Richmond, Texas, was arrested on October 21 after arriving from Houston aboard a United Airlines flight, according to an NDLEA statement issued on Sunday, October 25.

The agency said a search of her two checked-in boxes uncovered 18 parcels of the suspected cannabis, which had been hidden in a box covered with gift-wrapping paper.

During interrogation, Ubong reportedly told investigators that her daughter and the daughter’s future brother-in-law had brought the package to her home in the United States.

She allegedly said she was asked to transport the box to Nigeria for delivery to her daughter’s fiancé, identified as Jibola.

READ ALSO; NDLEA busts South African cocaine suspect, arrests US-based grandma in Lagos

The NDLEA identified Ubong as a holder of both Nigerian and United States passports.

The agency’s statement did not indicate whether the daughter, the prospective brother-in-law or the intended recipient had been arrested or charged in connection with the alleged drug shipment.

The arrest highlights the risks travellers face when accepting parcels or luggage from other people for delivery across international borders.

Drug enforcement authorities have repeatedly warned travellers against transporting packages without verifying their contents, noting that possession or transportation of prohibited substances can lead to arrest and prosecution, even where a suspect claims not to have known what the package contained.

The NDLEA did not provide further details on the investigation or state whether formal charges had been filed against the suspect.