National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted a cannabis consignment concealed in a gallon of palm oil at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport in Kano State, arresting a female passenger and her cousin in connection with the incident.
Gatekeepers News reports that according to the agency, the suspect, identified as Fatimah Ahmad, was intercepted on Friday, October 16, 2026, during the screening of passengers boarding an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
A search of her luggage reportedly revealed parcels of cannabis weighing 511.75 grammes hidden inside a gallon of palm oil.
NDLEA said Ahmad told its operatives that her cousin, Abubakar Yahaya, had given her the container to deliver to someone in Saudi Arabia. Yahaya was subsequently arrested at the airport car park.
The agency disclosed the development in a statement issued on Sunday, October 18, through its Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.
Following the interception, the agency cautioned travellers against accepting luggage or packages from other people, regardless of their relationship with them.
The warning highlights the risks of unknowingly becoming involved in drug trafficking by agreeing to transport items whose contents have not been verified.
NDLEA also reiterated its commitment to combating illicit drug trafficking through intelligence-led operations at airports, seaports and other locations across the country.
In a related operation, NDLEA operatives uncovered 8,725 kilogrammes of powdered tramadol at the Apapa Port in Lagos State.
The shipment, which originated from India, was reportedly declared as maize starch to conceal its actual contents. A laboratory examination confirmed that the substance was tramadol hydrochloride powder.
The agency estimated the consignment’s street value at more than N6.98 billion.
At the Tincan Island Port in Lagos, officers also seized 55 kilogrammes of Canadian Loud, a high-potency cannabis strain, valued at N165 million. The substance was reportedly concealed inside a Toyota Sienna vehicle transported in a 40-foot shipping container.
NDLEA Chairman, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended the officers involved in the operations and urged them to sustain efforts to dismantle drug trafficking networks.
The agency said the seizures formed part of a broader series of operations targeting illicit drugs and controlled substances in several Nigerian states.
