Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have uncovered multiple attempts to traffic illicit drugs through the Seme border in Lagos and the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, arresting suspects who concealed narcotics in a fake pregnancy and inside their stomach.
The agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed the arrests in a statement shared on Sunday.
According to the statement, a 35-year-old businesswoman, Rabi Muhammad, was apprehended on Monday, February 16, 2026, at the Seme land border while attempting to travel to Cotonou, Benin Republic.
NDLEA officers reportedly became suspicious after noticing her protruding stomach. A thorough search later revealed that the pregnancy was fake. She had strapped a pink-coloured calabash to her abdomen containing 3,200 capsules of tramadol, which she allegedly intended to sell across the border.
In a separate operation the same day, NDLEA operatives at the Kano airport intercepted a 41-year-old Ivorian, Michael Gohouri, during clearance for passengers boarding an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Milan via Addis Ababa.
A body scan confirmed he had ingested illicit substances. He was placed under observation and subsequently excreted 82 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.49 kilograms.
The agency said Gohouri had arrived in Lagos from Milan on January 17, 2026, and had travelled between Lagos and Enugu for about three weeks before heading to Kano, where he allegedly ingested the drugs in a hotel room. He was reportedly promised €5,000 upon successful delivery of the consignment in Milan.
NDLEA added that the suspect applied for asylum in Italy in 2013 and holds a resident permit valid until May 25, 2026. He also possesses a Nigerian National Identification Number bearing the name Anunwa Onyinye Michael.
Meanwhile, in a related development, NDLEA operatives arrested the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Trans Fortress Global Resources, Kolapo Oladapo Raji, at his residence in Ikate, Lekki, Lagos, following intelligence linking him to drug trafficking.
The agency said the 57-year-old had been on its watchlist since 2025. A search of his apartment reportedly led to the recovery of four large bags containing 89.2 kilograms of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, as well as a 2024 Toyota Hilux vehicle.
Raji allegedly admitted to financing drug consignments for an overseas associate before establishing his own distribution network after receiving substantial profits. The agency said investigations are ongoing.
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