NDLEA intercepts fake pregnancy drug courier, Ivorian suspect excretes 82 cocaine pellets at Kano airport
National Drug Law Enforcement Agency operatives have uncovered multiple drug trafficking attempts across the country, including a woman who concealed narcotics in a fake pregnancy and a foreign national who ingested cocaine wraps.
At the Seme border, officers intercepted 35-year-old businesswoman Rabi Muhammad as she attempted to cross into Cotonou, Benin Republic. Though she appeared pregnant, a search revealed her protruding stomach was fabricated with a pink calabash strapped to her body, hiding 3,200 capsules of tramadol allegedly meant for sale abroad.
On the same day at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, a 41-year-old Ivorian national, Michael Gohouri, was stopped during passenger clearance for an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Milan via Addis Ababa. A body scan confirmed he had ingested illicit substances. He was placed under observation and later excreted 82 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.49kg. Investigations revealed he had travelled between Italy and Nigeria in recent weeks and was to be paid 5,000 euros upon delivery of the drugs in Milan.
In a related development, NDLEA operatives arrested Kolapo Oladapo Raji, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Trans Fortress Global Resources, at his residence in Ikate, Lekki, Lagos. He had been on the agency’s watchlist since 2025. A search of his apartment led to the recovery of four large bags containing 89.2kg of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, as well as a 2024 Toyota Hilux vehicle. He reportedly admitted financing previous drug consignments before establishing his own distribution network.
Further operations across the country led to several arrests and seizures. In Lagos, suspects were apprehended with large quantities of skunk in Agbara and Oshodi. At the Port Harcourt Ports Complex in Onne, Rivers State, a joint inspection uncovered 170,900 bottles of codeine-based syrup concealed in a container.
Along the Okene/Lokoja highway in Kogi State, NDLEA officers recovered 7,300 tramadol pills hidden inside sound systems on a commuter bus travelling from Lagos to Kano. Follow-up operations in Abuja led to the arrest of two suspects linked to the shipment.
In Ondo State, operatives arrested suspects in Iju forest with hundreds of kilograms of skunk, while major seizures were also recorded in Bauchi, Delta and Edo states, including the destruction of over 1,200kg of cannabis farms in Owan West LGA.
Beyond enforcement, the agency intensified its War Against Drug Abuse sensitisation campaign in schools and communities nationwide, reaching institutions in Oyo, Yobe, Imo, Gombe, Cross River, Kano and Lagos states.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Mohamed Buba Marwa, commended officers across various commands for their coordinated efforts in drug supply reduction and public awareness initiatives.
