NDLEA Busts Businesswoman Smuggling 3,200 Tramadol Pills In Fake Baby Bump

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted multiple attempts by traffickers to smuggle narcotics through Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport and the Seme land border. According to Ireporter Online, suspects employed extreme concealment methods, including ingesting drugs and disguising substances in fake pregnancy bumps, in efforts to bypass security screening.

On Monday, February 16, 2026, a 35-year-old Kano-based businesswoman, Rabi Muhammad, was stopped at the Seme border while attempting to enter Cotonou, Benin Republic. NDLEA officers noted her unusually protruding abdomen and conducted a thorough search, revealing a fabricated pregnancy bump containing 3,200 tramadol capsules.

On the same day, NDLEA officials at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport intercepted a 41-year-old Ivorian, Michael Gohouri, also known as Anunwa Onyinye Michael, during departure for Milan via Addis Ababa. A body scan confirmed ingestion of narcotics, and the suspect subsequently excreted 82 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.49 kilograms. Investigations showed that Gohouri had traveled extensively within Nigeria prior to the interception and was promised €5,000 for successful delivery in Milan.

In Lagos, NDLEA also arrested Kolapo Oladapo Raji, Chairman and CEO of Trans Fortress Global Resources, after recovering 89.2 kilograms of cannabis from his residence in Lekki. Raji admitted to establishing a drug distribution network following prior involvement in overseas consignments. Additional seizures in Lagos included 56 kilograms and 76 kilograms of skunk cannabis from suspects Ugwuja Kingsley and Ekwe Arinze, respectively. At the Port Harcourt Ports Complex, authorities seized 170,900 bottles of codeine-based syrup based on intelligence-led inspections.

Further interdictions included 7,300 tramadol pills hidden in sound systems on a Lagos-Kano commuter bus, as well as large-scale seizures of skunk cannabis in Ondo, Bauchi, Delta, and Edo States. NDLEA confirmed the arrests of multiple suspects, including both young adults and elderly individuals, while also destroying cultivated cannabis farms in Edo State.

Beyond enforcement, the agency continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign through educational programs in schools, workplaces, and communities nationwide. Chairman and CEO Mohamed Buba Marwa commended NDLEA officers for their balanced approach to reducing drug supply and demand, highlighting the importance of sustained intelligence-driven operations and preventive education.