A fake pregnancy has exposed a major drug trafficking plot as operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, intercepted a 35-year-old businesswoman attempting to smuggle thousands of opioid capsules across Nigeria’s border.
The suspect, Rabi Muhammad, was stopped at the Seme border while trying to cross into Cotonou.
What appeared to be a protruding baby bump turned out to be a carefully crafted disguise.
Hidden beneath her clothing was a pink calabash strapped to her stomach, concealing 3,200 capsules of tramadol intended for sale abroad.
The dramatic discovery emphasizes what the agency describes as increasingly desperate tactics by traffickers.
On the same day, NDLEA officers at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport uncovered another international drug attempt.
A 41-year-old Ivorian national, Michael Gohouri, was intercepted while boarding an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Milan via Addis Ababa.
A body scan confirmed he had ingested illicit drugs. Under observation, he excreted 82 wraps of cocaine weighing nearly one and a half kilograms.
Investigators say he was promised 5,000 euros upon delivery in Italy, where he holds residency status.
Authorities revealed he had travelled across Lagos, Enugu and Kano in the weeks leading up to the failed operation.
In a related crackdown, NDLEA operatives arrested prominent businessman Kolapo Oladapo Raji, chairman of Trans Fortress Global Resources, at his Lekki residence following months of surveillance.
The agency recovered nearly 90 kilograms of “Canadian Loud,” a potent strain of cannabis, along with a 2024 Toyota Hilux vehicle.
The suspect, who had been on the agency’s watchlist, allegedly admitted venturing into drug trafficking after earning huge profits from financing previous consignments.
NDLEA spokesperson Mr. Femi Babafemi says the arrests demonstrate the agency’s intensified surveillance at airports, borders and within major cities, warning that no disguise, social status or international connection will shield traffickers from the long arm of the law.
Reporting By Nosa Aituamen