Esther Ogunmabo is 101 years old and sold marijuana in small packets.
She was arrested on August 15 in Ilisan, in Ogun State, southwestern Nigeria, with 90 grams of a variety known as skunk. According to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the great-grandmother began selling it after a fire destroyed her grocery store, the business that had supported her all her life. Her daughter, who lives in Lagos, had the drugs delivered to her every four days and was also eventually arrested.
Mohamed Buba Marwa, director of the NDLEA, decided to do something few expected: release her on bail and offer her psychological support instead of prosecuting her like any other detainee. At 101, Esther will not go to prison — but her story is already making its way around the world. 🌿