Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a Kano-based businesswoman for allegedly attempting to smuggle 3,200 tramadol capsules concealed in a fake pregnancy.
NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi said in a statement on Sunday that Rabi Muhammed, 35, was arrested last Monday at the Seme border while trying to cross into Cotonou, Benin Republic.
Babafemi explained that officers became suspicious of her protruding stomach, prompting a search. “Strapped to her abdomen was a pink-coloured calabash ingeniously crafted to simulate a baby bump and conceal the tramadol,” he said. “The opioids were intended for sale in Cotonou before further distribution.”
On the same day, NDLEA operatives in Kano intercepted a 41-year-old Ivorian national, Michael Gohouri, also known as Anunwa Onyinye Michael, during outward clearance for Ethiopian Airlines to Milan via Addis Ababa. A body scan revealed he had ingested illicit substances.
He later excreted 82 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.49kg while under medical observation. Investigations showed Gohouri had traveled between Lagos, Enugu, and Kano before ingesting the drugs in a hotel, intending to earn €5,000 on delivery in Milan.
The NDLEA also intensified operations across Lagos, Edo, Bauchi, Ondo, Delta, and Kogi states. Among those arrested was 68-year-old grandmother and several suspects linked to drug networks.
In Lagos, the agency arrested Kolapo Raji, 57, CEO of Trans Fortress Global Resources, a real estate firm. Babafemi said Raji, who had been on NDLEA’s watchlist since 2025, was apprehended at his Ikate, Lekki residence on February 12 following surveillance after his return from the United Kingdom.
Searches of his apartment recovered four large bags containing 89.20kg of Canadian Loud cannabis, as well as a 2024 Toyota Hilux. Raji reportedly admitted he became involved in drug trade after financing consignments for an overseas associate and earning hundreds of millions of naira in profit.
Babafemi reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to dismantle domestic and transnational narcotics syndicates exploiting Nigeria’s borders and airports.
