Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have foiled attempts by suspected traffickers to smuggle illicit drugs through the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport and the Seme Border, uncovering substances hidden in a fake pregnancy and inside a suspect’s stomach.
The agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a post shared via his X handle on Sunday.
According to the statement, a 35-year-old businesswoman, Rabi Muhammad, was intercepted at the Seme border while attempting to cross to Cotonou.
Officers became suspicious after noticing her protruding stomach. A search later revealed that her pregnancy was fake and that she had strapped a pink-coloured calabash to her abdomen containing 3,200 capsules of tramadol intended for sale across the border.
The statement said, “Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have foiled bizarre plots by two drug traffickers to move consignments of cocaine and opioids hidden in their stomach and fake baby bump through the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) Kano and the Seme land border in Lagos to Europe and other destinations.
“A Kano based businesswoman, 35-year-old Rabi Muhammad was intercepted by NDLEA officers at the departure tarmac of Seme land border with a protruding tummy on Monday 16thFebruary 2026 while attempting to cross to Cotonou in Benin Republic.
“A full body search however revealed the absurd: her pregnancy was fake and her baby bump was designed with a pink coloured calabash used to conceal 3,200 capsules of tramadol, which she tied around her stomach and was taking to Cotonou to sell.”
On the same day, NDLEA operatives at the Kano airport screening point intercepted a 41-year-old Ivorian, Michael Gohouri, during outward clearance for passengers boarding an Ethiopian Airlines flight bound for Milan via Addis Ababa.
A body scan confirmed ingestion of illicit drugs, after which he was placed under observation and later excreted 82 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.49kg.
The statement added, “Same day in Kano, NDLEA operatives at the screening point of the departure hall of MAKIA intercepted a 41-year-old Ivorian, Michael Gohouri (also known as Anunwa Onyinye Michael) during the outward clearance of passengers on Ethiopian Airlines flight ET940 to Milan, Malpensa via Addis Ababa. When he was taken for body scan, the result confirmed ingestion of illicit substances.
“As a result, he was placed under observation during which he excreted 82 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.49 kilograms. Michael Gohouri had arrived Lagos from Milan on 17th January, 2026 and was shuttling from Lagos to Enugu for three weeks. He later travelled to Kano where he stayed for a week before ingesting the cocaine consignment in his hotel room. He’s expected to be paid 5,000 Euros when he delivers the drugs in Milan.
“The suspect who hails from Reu duce Avenue 13 Abidjan, Cote d’ivoire claims his father, Bade Gohouri is an Ivorian while his mother is from Anunwa compound, Urunnebo village Ukwan in Enugu State.
“He applied for asylum in Italy in 2013 and obtained a resident permit which expires 25th May 2026 while he has a Nigerian National Identification Number with his name written as Anunwa Onyinye Michael.”
NAN
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