National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a Kano-based businesswoman for allegedly trying to smuggle thousands of tramadol capsules into Benin Republic by disguising them under a fake pregnancy.
Gatekeepers News reports that in a statement on Sunday, Femi Babafemi, NDLEA spokesperson, said the suspect, identified as Rabi Muhammed, was apprehended last Monday at the Seme border departure tarmac while attempting to cross into Cotonou.
Babafemi explained that officers became suspicious of her unusually protruding stomach, leading to a search that revealed a pink-colored calabash strapped to her abdomen. The calabash was ingeniously fashioned to resemble a baby bump and contained 3,200 capsules of tramadol, reportedly intended for sale in Cotonou before further distribution.
The arrest is part of a broader offensive against drug trafficking across Nigeria. On the same day in Kano, NDLEA 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 1.49 kilograms, which he allegedly planned to deliver in Milan for €5,000. Investigations indicated that Gohouri had been shuttling between Lagos and Enugu since mid-January and ingested the drugs in a Kano hotel.
NDLEA’s operations last week also targeted trafficking networks across Lagos, Edo, Bauchi, Ondo, Delta, and Kogi states. Among those arrested was Kolapo Raji, CEO of Trans Fortress Global Resources, who was placed on NDLEA’s watchlist in 2025.
Raji, 57, was arrested at his Lekki residence in Lagos after returning from the United Kingdom. Authorities recovered four large bags containing 89.2 kilograms of Canadian Loud cannabis and a 2024 Toyota Hilux. Babafemi noted that Raji admitted to venturing into drug distribution after receiving substantial profits from overseas associates, eventually establishing his own network.
“The NDLEA remains committed to dismantling transnational and domestic narcotics syndicates exploiting Nigeria’s borders and airports as transit corridors,” Babafemi said, emphasising the agency’s ongoing fight against drug trafficking in the country.
The recent arrests highlight the creativity and risk-taking of traffickers, as well as the NDLEA’s determination to intercept illicit drugs before they reach local and international markets.
