NDLEA Busts Fake Pregnancy Drug Smuggling Ring as Ivorian Excretes 82 Cocaine Wraps at Kano Airport

NDLEA Busts Fake Pregnancy Drug Smuggling Ring as Ivorian Excretes 82 Cocaine Wraps at Kano Airport

The Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has foiled multiple drug trafficking attempts across Nigeria, including the arrest of a woman who concealed thousands of tramadol capsules in a fake pregnancy at the Seme border and an Ivorian national who excreted 82 wraps of cocaine at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano.

The sweeping operations, which also led to the arrest of a prominent real estate executive and several other suspects, were carried out in Lagos, Kano, Edo, Bauchi, Ondo, Delta, Kogi and Rivers states.

Fake Pregnancy Plot Foiled at Seme Border

Operatives at the Seme land border intercepted 35-year-old Rabi Muhammad, a Kano-based businesswoman, on Monday, February 16, 2026, while she attempted to cross into Cotonou, Benin Republic.

NDLEA officers became suspicious of her protruding stomach during departure checks. A subsequent body search revealed that her pregnancy was fake. Instead of a baby bump, she had strapped a pink-coloured calabash around her abdomen containing 3,200 capsules of tramadol intended for sale in Cotonou.

Ivorian Excretes 82 Wraps of Cocaine in Kano

On the same day, NDLEA operatives at the screening point of the departure hall of MAKIA arrested a 41-year-old Ivorian, Michael Gohouri, also known as Anunwa Onyinye Michael, during clearance for Ethiopian Airlines flight ET940 to Milan via Addis Ababa.

A body scan confirmed ingestion of illicit drugs. He was placed under observation and later excreted 82 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.49 kilograms.

Investigations revealed that Gohouri had arrived in Lagos from Milan on January 17, 2026, travelled between Lagos and Enugu for three weeks, and later moved to Kano, where he ingested the cocaine in a hotel room. He was reportedly promised €5,000 upon successful delivery of the drugs in Milan.

The suspect claimed dual heritage, stating that his father is Ivorian while his mother is from Enugu State. He reportedly 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.

Real Estate CEO Arrested in Lekki

In Lagos, NDLEA operatives arrested the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Trans Fortress Global Resources, Kolapo Oladapo Raji, at his Safe Court Apartment residence in Ikate, Lekki, on Thursday, February 12, 2026.

Raji, 57, 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 89.2 kilograms of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis. A 2024 Toyota Hilux was also recovered at the point of arrest.

In his statement, Raji allegedly admitted venturing into the illicit drug trade after financing consignments for an overseas associate and receiving substantial profits, which motivated him to establish an independent distribution network.

Massive Seizures Across States

In separate operations:

• Ugwuja Kingsley was arrested with 56kg of skunk at Agbara, Lagos.
• Ekwe Arinze was apprehended with 76kg of the same substance at a motor park in Oshodi.
• At the Port Harcourt Ports Complex, Onne, Rivers State, 170,900 bottles of codeine-based syrup were discovered in a container during a joint examination by NDLEA, Customs and other security agencies following processed intelligence.
• Along the Okene/Lokoja highway in Kogi State, operatives recovered 7,300 pills of tramadol concealed in sound systems inside a commuter bus. Follow-up operations in Zuba, Abuja, led to the arrest of two suspects, Ezenma Kingsley, 26, and Ezeja Anthony, 29.
• In Ondo State, 195kg and 198kg of skunk were recovered from suspects arrested during forest raids.
• In Bauchi State, 936kg of skunk was seized from a suspect in Azare town, with additional quantities recovered from three others.
• In Delta State, 37kg of skunk was seized in Ughelli.
• In Edo State, operatives destroyed 1,266.8475kg of skunk on three farms in Owan West LGA and recovered 23kg of processed cannabis. A 68-year-old grandmother and another suspect were arrested during the operation.

WADA Campaign Intensifies

Beyond enforcement, NDLEA commands nationwide sustained their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization campaigns in schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities, including outreach programmes in Oyo, Yobe, Imo, Gombe, Cross River, Kano and Lagos states.

Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa  (Rtd), commended officers across MAKIA, Seme, Lagos, Edo, Bauchi, Port Harcourt, Ondo, Delta and Kogi Commands for their operational successes.

According to him, the agency’s balanced strategy of drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction continues to yield significant results in the ongoing fight against illicit drug trafficking and abuse across the country.