When grandpas, grandmas become cocaine smugglers

…404 ‘arrested’ in 20 months By Nnamdi Ojiego The image of an elderly grandmother or grandfather being led away by anti-narcotics officers over alleged involvement in drug trafficking is one that challenges conventional perceptions of who participates in the illicit drug trade. Yet, a succession of arrests involving people in their 60s, 70s and even older has brought an uncomfortable question to the fore: Why are people who should ordinarily be enjoying their retirement years becoming involved in the dangerous business of transporting, storing and distributing illicit drugs?

In Nigeria, the figures supplied by Femi Babafemi, spokesperson of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) suggest that the phenomenon deserves closer attention. The agency arrested 240 persons aged 60 and above for drug-related offences in 2025, comprising 191 men and 49 women. Between January and August 2026, another 164 elderly suspects, including 128 men and 36 women, were arrested.

The figures bring the total number of elderly persons arrested within the 20-month period to 404. Men accounted for the overwhelming majority, representing approximately 80 per cent of the arrests in 2025 and 78 per cent in the first eight months of 2026. Calculated strategy Although the 2026 figures cover only eight months and cannot be directly compared with the full-year 2025 total, the number of arrests already recorded points to the continued involvement of older people in drug-related activities.

It also raises questions about the circumstances drawing them into a trade whose consequences include lengthy imprisonment, financial ruin, damaged family relationships and, in some cases, serious health risks. The NDLEA also reported seizing 6,998.77 kilogrammes of illicit drugs in connection with elderly suspects in 2025, compared with 1,479.988 kilogrammes between January and August 2026.

From couriers to local dealers The cases recorded by the NDLEA in 2026 provide a glimpse into the different ways older people are becoming involved in the illicit drug trade. On March 14, 2026, NDLEA operatives arrested 74-year-old Ikwuakalom Nwakoro Emeka at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, while he was preparing to board a British Airways flight to London.

The agency alleged that 11 kilogrammes of cocaine were discovered in his luggage, concealed in food items, including ground dry pepper. He reportedly told investigators he was travelling to Britain on holiday. Barely three months later, another high-profile case emerged at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos. On June 28, operatives arrested 67-year-old Mary Yetunde Barek, a Nigerian-British woman who worked as a caregiver in the United Kingdom, while she was preparing to board a Virgin Atlantic flight to London.

The NDLEA alleged that 13 kilogrammes of cocaine were recovered from 31 large packages concealed in plantain peels designed to resemble actual plantain hands and packed among other food items. The agency reported that she admitted ownership of the drugs. However, she subsequently pleaded not guilty when arraigned, In April, the agency announced the arrest of 93-year-old Friday Ahukanna Chigbu at his residence in Abia State.

A search of his home reportedly yielded 7.7 kilogrammes of skunk, a strain of cannabis. According to the NDLEA, the nonagenarian told investigators he had worked as a truck pusher before learning painting and tiling, but later entered the illicit drug business. He reportedly said he had been smoking skunk since 1959 before turning it into a business.

Another striking case involved 101-year-old Esther Ogunmabo, arrested in Ilishan, Ogun State, on August 15, with 90 grammes of cannabis packaged in retail sachets. According to the agency, she told investigators that she turned to selling the substance after her provisions shop was destroyed by fire. She reportedly identified her daughter, who lives in Lagos, as the person arranging supplies every four days.

These cases involve different substances and alleged roles. While Emeka and Barek were arrested over consignments of cocaine allegedly destined for the United Kingdom, Chigbu and Ogunmabo were accused of involvement in the local cannabis trade. They nevertheless expose a wider dimension of the problem: The involvement of older people is not confined to international drug smuggling.

Some are being accused of retailing or keeping drugs within their communities, while others appear in investigations involving cross-border consignments. For security and criminal intelligence specialists, the development may reflect a calculated strategy by trafficking organisations that are increasingly willing to exploit age, social circumstances and public perceptions to move their consignments across borders.

In this arrangement, elderly people may serve as couriers, carrying drugs in luggage or on their persons, while others may be used to store consignments or facilitate local distribution. Their involvement can ra