NDLEA arrests woman with drugs as Ivorian excretes 82 cocaine wraps at Kano airport
NDLEA Foils Drug Trafficking Attempts at Major Airports
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted two drug traffickers plotting to smuggle cocaine and opioids through Nigeria’s Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport and the Seme land border in Lagos.
In a statement released Sunday by Femi Babafemi, Director of Media and Advocacy for the NDLEA, a 35-year-old businesswoman from Kano, Rabi Muhammad, was apprehended on Monday at the Seme land border. NDLEA officers observed her with a suspiciously protruding stomach as she attempted to cross into Cotonou, Benin Republic.
A subsequent body search revealed that her pregnancy was a ruse. Authorities discovered a pink calabash concealing 3,200 capsules of tramadol, which she intended to sell in Cotonou.
On the same day in Kano, NDLEA operatives arrested a 41-year-old Ivorian national, Michael Gohouri, also known as Anunwa Onyinye Michael. He was caught during screening for an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Milan via Addis Ababa. A body scan confirmed the ingestion of illegal substances, leading to the excretion of 82 wraps of cocaine, weighing a total of 1.49 kilograms.
NDLEA records indicate that Gohouri had arrived in Lagos from Milan on January 17, 2026, and spent three weeks traveling between Lagos and Enugu before moving to Kano, where he ingested the drugs in preparation for delivery in Milan, for which he is expected to receive 5,000 Euros.
Gohouri claims to have ties in both Côte d’Ivoire and Nigeria, stating that he applied for asylum in Italy in 2013 and holds a resident permit valid until May 25, 2026, along with a Nigerian National Identification Number.
In a related case, Mr. Kolapo Oladapo Raji, CEO of Trans Fortress Global Resources, was arrested at his residence in Lekki, Lagos, on February 12, 2026. Raji had been under NDLEA surveillance since 2025. A search of his apartment uncovered four large bags containing 89.20 kilograms of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis. He was reportedly motivated to enter the drug trade after previously financing overseas drug shipments.
Additional operations in Lagos resulted in the arrest of Ugwuja Kingsley, who was found with 56 kilograms of skunk, and Ekwe Arinze, caught with 76 kilograms of the same substance.
At the Port Harcourt Ports Complex in Rivers State, NDLEA agents discovered 170,900 bottles of codeine-based syrup in a shipment during a joint inspection with customs and security agencies.
Further investigations led to the seizure of 7,300 pills of tramadol concealed within two sound systems along the Okene/Lokoja highway in Kogi State. This operation resulted in the arrests of suspects Ezenma Kingsley and Ezeja Anthony.
In Ondo State, a 28-year-old suspect, Bright Timothy, was apprehended with 195 kilograms of skunk, while another suspect, Godwin Bernard, was caught with 198 kilograms.
In Bauchi State, a total of 936 kilograms of skunk was seized from Yahaya Adamu Gimba, 48, while 85.8 kilograms was recovered from Gimba along with three accomplices. Additional operations in Delta and Edo states resulted in the confiscation of large quantities of skunk and cannabis.
The NDLEA has praised the efforts of its personnel across various states for their operational successes in combating drug trafficking. In a statement, NDLEA Chairman Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) recognized their effective approach to reducing both drug supply and demand in Nigeria.
