Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have foiled two separate drug trafficking attempts involving opioids and cocaine concealed through unusual methods at the Seme border and the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport.
The arrests, carried out on Monday, February 16, 2026, underscore what the agency described as increasingly “bizarre concealment tactics” employed by traffickers attempting to move illicit drugs to Europe and neighbouring West African countries.
At the Seme Border, NDLEA officers intercepted a 35-year old Kano-based businesswoman, Rabi Muhammad, while she was preparing to cross into Cotonou, Benin Republic.
She appeared heavily pregnant, raising suspicion among operatives.
A detailed search later revealed the pregnancy was fake.
The suspect had strapped a pink-coloured calabash to her abdomen to simulate a baby bump.
Inside the container, officers discovered 3,200 capsules of tramadol carefully packed for onward distribution in Cotonou.
NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi said the opioids were tightly arranged and secured around her waist in an attempt to evade detection.
In a separate operation the same day in Kano, NDLEA officers arrested a 41-year-old Ivorian national, Michael Gohouri, during passenger screening for an Ethiopian Airlines flight bound for Milan via Addis Ababa.
A body scan confirmed he had ingested illicit substances. While under observation, he excreted 82 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.49 kilogrammes.
Investigations revealed Gohouri had arrived in Lagos from Milan in January 2026 and moved between Lagos and Enugu before travelling to Kano, where he allegedly ingested the drugs in preparation for his return trip to Italy.
He reportedly agreed to traffic the cocaine for a fee of €5,000.
NDLEA said more investigations were ongoing as authorities intensify efforts to dismantle cross-border drug trafficking networks exploiting Nigeria’s land and air routes.
