Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have dismantled multiple drug trafficking operations across the country, arresting suspects who employed audacious concealment tactics — including a woman who feigned pregnancy to smuggle narcotics and a prominent real estate executive accused of heading a drug distribution network.
At the Seme border in Lagos on 16 February 2026, NDLEA officers intercepted 35-year-old Kano-based trader, Rabi Muhammad, as she attempted to cross into Cotonou, Benin Republic.
Though she appeared heavily pregnant, vigilant officers conducted a detailed search that exposed the pregnancy as a ruse. Concealed within a specially crafted artificial bump strapped to her abdomen were 3,200 capsules of tramadol, carefully hidden to evade detection.
On the same day at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), operatives apprehended a 41-year-old Ivorian national, Michael Gohouri, also known as Anunwa Onyinye Michael, during clearance for Ethiopian Airlines flight ET940 bound for Milan via Addis Ababa. A body scan confirmed he had ingested illicit substances. Placed under observation, he later excreted 82 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.49 kilograms.
Investigations indicate he had travelled through Lagos, Enugu, and Kano before ingesting the drugs in a Kano hotel room. He was allegedly promised €5,000 upon successful delivery in Milan.
In a related breakthrough, NDLEA operatives arrested the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Trans Fortress Global Resources, Kolapo Oladapo Raji, 57, at his residence in Ikate, Lekki, Lagos, on 12 February after months of surveillance.
The suspect, reportedly on the agency’s watchlist since 2025, was found in possession of four large bags containing 89.2 kilograms of “Canadian Loud,” a potent strain of cannabis, along with a 2024 Toyota Hilux vehicle.
He allegedly confessed to previously financing drug consignments before establishing his own independent distribution network.
Beyond these high-profile arrests, coordinated operations across Lagos, Rivers, Kogi, Ondo, Bauchi, Delta, and Edo states led to additional significant seizures, including large quantities of skunk and tramadol.
At the Port Harcourt Ports Complex in Onne, a joint container examination uncovered 170,900 bottles of codeine-based syrup.
Chairman and Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Mohamed Buba Marwa, commended officers for their vigilance and professionalism, reaffirming the agency’s resolve to intensify drug supply reduction and demand reduction strategies nationwide.
He also reiterated the agency’s commitment to its War Against Drug Abuse sensitisation campaign, aimed at educating schools and communities on the dangers of illicit drug use.
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