Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have foiled bizarre drug trafficking attempts involving concealment of illicit substances in a fake pregnancy and ingestion of cocaine, while also arresting a prominent real estate chief executive allegedly leading a drug cartel and a 68-year-old grandmother in sweeping operations across several states.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Director, Media & Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja, Femi Babafemi, said the interdictions occurred at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) and the Seme land border in Lagos, alongside coordinated raids in Lagos, Edo, Bauchi, Ondo, Delta, Kogi and Rivers states.
According to the statement, a 35-year-old Kano-based businesswoman, Rabi Muhammad, was intercepted at the departure tarmac of the Seme border on Monday, February 16, 2026, while attempting to cross into Cotonou, Benin Republic. NDLEA officers became suspicious of her protruding stomach and conducted a full body search, which revealed that her pregnancy was fake. Her “baby bump” was ingeniously crafted with a pink-coloured calabash strapped to her stomach, concealing 3,200 capsules of tramadol she intended to sell in Cotonou.
On the same day in Kano, NDLEA operatives at MAKIA intercepted a 41-year-old Ivorian national, Michael Gohouri, also known as Anunwa Onyinye Michael, during outward clearance of passengers on Ethiopian Airlines flight ET940 to Milan via Addis Ababa. A body scan confirmed ingestion of illicit substances, after which he was placed under observation. He subsequently excreted 82 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.49 kilograms.
Investigations revealed that Gohouri had arrived in Lagos from Milan on January 17, 2026, and shuttled between Lagos and Enugu for three weeks before travelling to Kano, where he stayed for a week and ingested the cocaine consignment in a hotel room. He was reportedly to be paid 5,000 Euros upon successful delivery in Milan. The suspect, who claims his father is Ivorian and his mother hails from Enugu State, 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.
In a related development, NDLEA operatives in Lagos arrested the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of Trans Fortress Global Resources, Mr. Kolapo Oladapo Raji, at his Safe Court Apartment residence in Ikate, Lekki, on Thursday, February 12, 2026. The 57-year-old had been on the agency’s watchlist since 2025 following credible intelligence. A search of his residence led to the recovery of four large bags containing parcels of “Canadian Loud,” a potent strain of cannabis, weighing 89.20 kilograms. A 2024 Toyota Hilux was also recovered at the point of arrest. In his statement, Raji admitted financing drug consignments for an overseas associate and said profits running into hundreds of millions of naira motivated him to establish an independent distribution channel.
Further operations in Lagos led to the arrest of Ugwuja Kingsley with 56 kilograms of skunk at Agbara on February 19, while Ekwe Arinze was apprehended with 76 kilograms of the same substance at a motor park in Oshodi on February 17.
At the Port Harcourt Ports Complex, Onne, Rivers State, NDLEA officers, in collaboration with Customs and other security agencies, intercepted 170,900 bottles of codeine-based syrup in a container during a joint examination. The agency had requested a 100 per cent physical examination of the shipment following processed intelligence.
Along the Okene/Lokoja highway in Kogi State, operatives recovered 7,300 pills of tramadol 225mg concealed in two sound systems during the search of a commuter bus travelling from Lagos to Kano on February 15. A follow-up operation in Zuba, Abuja, on February 17 led to the arrest of two suspects linked to the consignment, Ezenma Kingsley, 26, and Ezeja Anthony, 29.
In Ondo State, Bright Timothy, 28, was arrested at Iju forest on February 19 with 195 kilograms of skunk and cannabis seeds, while another suspect, Godwin Bernard, was nabbed with 198 kilograms during a raid on forest enclaves. In Bauchi State, a total of 936 kilograms of skunk was seized from Yahaya Adamu Gimba, 48, in Azare, with an additional 85.8 kilograms recovered from him and three others: Nasiru Suleman, 36; Abdul Umar, 25; and Musa Suleman, 21.
Similarly, 37 kilograms of skunk was seized from Mgbeme Ejeoma, 34, at Club Street, Ekeredjebor, Ughelli, Delta State, on February 17. In Edo State, NDLEA operatives raided Etiosa camp in Owan West Local Government Area, where they destroyed 1,266.8475 kilograms of skunk on three farms. No fewer than 23 kilograms of processed cannabis were also recovered, while a 68-year-old grandmother, Evelyn Ogenewu, and Friday Iruoje, 43, were arrested.
Meanwhile, commands and formations of the agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation activities in schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities in Oyo, Yobe, Imo, Gombe, Cross River, Kano and Lagos states, among others.
While commending officers and men of MAKIA, Seme, Lagos, Edo, Bauchi, Port Harcourt Ports Complex, Ondo, Delta and Kogi Commands for the arrests and seizures, NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), stated that their operational successes and balanced approach to drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts are well appreciated.
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