Sh*ck Arrest: NDLEA Nabs Businesswoman Using Fake Baby Bump To Smuggle Tramadol

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have uncovered multiple attempts by suspected traffickers to smuggle cocaine and opioids through the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport and the Seme border.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The agency revealed that suspects adopted extreme concealment tactics, including ingesting narcotics and disguising drugs in a fake pregnancy bump, in a bid to evade security screening.

One of the suspects, 35-year-old Kano-based trader Rabi Muhammad, was intercepted on Monday, February 16, 2026, at the Seme border while attempting to travel to Cotonou, Benin Republic.

According to the NDLEA, officers became suspicious after noticing her protruding stomach and subjected her to a thorough search. The inspection revealed that the pregnancy was staged. A pink-coloured calabash strapped to her abdomen had been used to conceal 3,200 tramadol capsules intended for sale in Cotonou.

On the same day at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, NDLEA officers apprehended a 41-year-old Ivorian national, Michael Gohouri, also known as Anunwa Onyinye Michael, during passenger clearance for Ethiopian Airlines flight ET940 en route to Milan via Addis Ababa.

A body scan confirmed he had ingested illicit substances. While under observation, he excreted 82 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.49 kilograms.

Investigations revealed that Gohouri arrived in Lagos from Milan on January 17, 2026, and spent three weeks moving between Lagos and Enugu before heading to Kano. He reportedly swallowed the cocaine in a hotel room and was promised €5,000 upon successful delivery in Milan. He also disclosed that he holds residency documents in Italy valid until May 25, 2026, and possesses a Nigerian National Identification Number.

In a separate operation in Lagos, the NDLEA arrested the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of Trans Fortress Global Resources, Kolapo Oladapo Raji, at his Ikate, Lekki residence shortly after he returned from the United Kingdom.

The 57-year-old suspect, who had been under surveillance since 2025, was found in possession of 89.2 kilograms of “Canadian Loud,” a potent strain of cannabis, packaged in four large bags. A 2024 Toyota Hilux was also recovered during the operation.

Raji reportedly admitted venturing into drug trafficking after previously financing consignments for an overseas associate, stating that substantial profits motivated him to establish his own distribution network.

In other operations across the country, NDLEA officers made several seizures and arrests:

• 56 kilograms of skunk recovered in Agbara, Lagos

• 76 kilograms seized at a motor park in Oshodi

• 170,900 bottles of codeine-based syrup intercepted at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex in Onne, Rivers State

• 7,300 tramadol pills concealed inside sound systems intercepted along the Okene/Lokoja highway

• 393 kilograms of skunk recovered during raids in Ondo forests

• 936 kilograms seized in Bauchi State, with additional quantities recovered from accomplices

• 37 kilograms confiscated in Delta State

• Over 1,266 kilograms destroyed at illegal cannabis farms in Edo State

The agency reaffirmed its commitment to intelligence-led operations across airports, borders, highways, and seaports to combat drug trafficking nationwide.

Beyond enforcement, the NDLEA said it continues its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaign through outreach programmes in schools, religious centres, workplaces, and communities across several states.

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Mohamed Buba Marwa, commended officers from various commands for their coordinated efforts. He praised their balanced strategy in tackling both drug supply and demand, reaffirming the agency’s determination to dismantle trafficking networks while strengthening preventive education initiatives.

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