Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a businesswoman accused of attempting to conceal tramadol in a fake pregnancy.
In a statement on Sunday, Femi Babafemi, NDLEA spokesperson, said the woman, identified as Kano-based Rabi Muhammed, was arrested last Monday.
The statement also detailed the agency’s activities during the week.
According to Babafemi, Muhammed was arrested at the departure tarmac of the Seme border while attempting to cross into Cotonou, Cotonou.
He said NDLEA officers became suspicious of her protruding stomach, prompting a search.
“Strapped to her abdomen was a pink-coloured calabash ingeniously crafted to simulate a baby bump and conceal 3,200 capsules of tramadol,” the statement reads.
“The opioids were intended for sale in Cotonou before further distribution.”
On the same day in Kano, NDLEA operatives intercepted a 41-year-old Ivorian national identified as Michael Gohouri, also known as Anunwa Onyinye Michael, during outward clearance for Ethiopian Airlines to Milan via Addis Ababa.
“A body scan confirmed he had ingested illicit substances,” the statement reads.
“Placed under medical observation, he later excreted 82 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.49 kilograms.”
According to Babafemi, investigations disclosed that Gohouri arrived in Lagos from Milan on January 17, 2026, shuttled between Lagos and Enugu for three weeks, and later travelled to Kano, where he ingested the cocaine in a hotel room.
He reportedly stood to earn €5,000 upon successful delivery of the drugs in Milan.
The suspect, who claims mixed Ivorian and Nigerian heritage, applied for asylum in Italy in 2013 and holds a resident permit valid until May 25.
He also possesses a Nigerian national identification number under the name Anunwa Onyinye Michael.