The Edo State NDLEA Commander, Mitchell Ofoyeju, disclosed this in a statement made available to journalists in Benin on Monday.
Ofoyeju said Ehimeka was arrested alongside five other suspected drug traffickers during coordinated operations in communities across Owan East Local Government Area and other parts of the state.
He said the operations resulted in the seizure of 407.39 kilogrammes of cannabis, 546 grammes of loud, 114 grammes of tramadol, four grammes of diazepam and three grammes of Swinol.
The other suspects were identified as Ali Garba, 57; Habib Braimoh, 45; Musa Mubid, 35; Ayo Aigberadion, 53; and Hope Okoro, 35. They were arrested in Warake, Ivbiaro, Ewe Uzeba and other communities following intelligence reports.
Ofoyeju said the agency would not tolerate criminal activities on the grounds of age, stressing that the command remained committed to tackling illicit drug trafficking in the state.
“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.
According to the statement, Ehimeka admitted ownership of the drugs and pleaded for another chance, claiming she had turned to selling cannabis to survive after becoming widowed.
“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 said.
In a related operation in Ivbiaro on October 15, Garba was arrested with 5.85 kilogrammes of cannabis, while Braimoh was apprehended the same day with 100 grammes of the substance.
Mubid was arrested in Warake with two kilogrammes of cannabis, 309 grammes of cannabis seeds, 114 grammes of loud and 135 grammes of assorted pharmaceutical drugs, including tramadol, Swinol and diazepam.
Aigberadion was arrested in Ewe/Irue, Owan East Local Government Area, on October 16, with 220.8 kilogrammes of cannabis.
Okoro was also arrested in Auchi with 237 grammes of loud, the statement added.
Ofoyeju said the arrests and seizures were part of the agency’s renewed efforts to combat drug trafficking and abuse.
He urged members of the public to provide credible and timely information to assist the agency in its fight against illicit drugs.