Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted a 35-year-old businesswoman, Rabi Muhammad, at the Seme Border while attempting to smuggle thousands of tramadol capsules concealed in a fake pregnancy.
Muhammad was arrested on Monday, February 16, 2026, at the departure tarmac of the border post as she attempted to cross into Cotonou, Benin Republic.
NDLEA officers, acting on suspicion over her protruding tummy, conducted a full body search which exposed what officials described as a bizarre concealment method.
Her pregnancy was discovered to be fake, with a pink-coloured calabash strapped to her stomach to simulate a baby bump. The container was used to hide 3,200 capsules of tramadol, which she intended to sell in Cotonou.
The Seme interception formed part of a string of nationwide operations by the anti-narcotics agency targeting cross-border and international drug trafficking networks.
On the same day, NDLEA operatives at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport intercepted a 41-year-old Ivorian, Michael Gohouri, also known as Anunwa Onyinye Michael, during outward clearance for an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Milan via Addis Ababa.
A body scan confirmed ingestion of illicit substances. Under observation, he excreted 82 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.49 kilograms. Investigations revealed he had arrived in Lagos from Milan in January and travelled across several Nigerian cities before ingesting the drug consignment in Kano. He was reportedly promised 5,000 Euros upon successful delivery in Italy.
In a related development, NDLEA operatives arrested the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of Trans Fortress Global Resources, Kolapo Oladapo Raji, in Lagos following months of surveillance. A search of his Lekki residence led to the recovery of 89.20 kilograms of Canadian Loud, a strong strain of cannabis, alongside a 2024 Toyota Hilux vehicle. He reportedly admitted financing drug consignments before establishing his own distribution network.
Across the country, the agency recorded additional seizures and arrests. At the Port Harcourt Ports Complex, Onne, Rivers State, a joint examination by NDLEA, Customs and other security agencies uncovered 170,900 bottles of codeine-based syrup in a container following intelligence-driven inspection.
In Lagos, suspects were arrested with significant quantities of skunk at Agbara and Oshodi, while operations in Kogi, Ondo, Bauchi, Delta and Edo states led to the recovery of large consignments of cannabis and tramadol, with several suspects apprehended.
A statement issued by Femi Babafemi,
Director, Media & Advocacy explained that the agency also sustained its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaign in schools and communities nationwide.
Commending officers of the Seme, Kano, Lagos and other commands for their efforts, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), praised their balanced approach to drug supply reduction and demand reduction, noting that the operational successes across commands were well appreciated.
