The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 35-year-old woman who allegedly strapped illicit drugs to her stomach in a desperate attempt to pass as pregnant at the Seme border in Badagry.
The suspect, Rabi Muhammad, was intercepted at the busy Seme land border while attempting to cross into Cotonou in the Benin Republic.
Officers on routine surveillance became suspicious after noticing her unusually protruding stomach and nervous movements.
A thorough search, however, exposed what officials described as a shocking discovery, revealing that the pregnancy was fake.
It was learnt that the item tied around her abdomen was a pink coloured calabash carefully designed to mimic a baby bump.
The officials revealed that hidden inside it were 3,200 capsules of tramadol, allegedly meant for sale across the border.
The agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, on Sunday, in a statement made available to newsmen, said the arrest was part of ongoing operations to clamp down on drug trafficking routes through Nigeria’s borders and airports.
In a related operation the same day, operatives at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport intercepted a 41-year-old Ivorian national, Michael Gohouri, during passenger clearance for an Ethiopian Airlines flight bound for Milan via Addis Ababa.
A body scan confirmed he had ingested illicit substances, compelling the officers to place him under observation and later excreted 82 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.49 kilograms.
Investigations revealed he had allegedly been promised 5,000 euros for delivering the drugs in Italy.
Meanwhile, in Lagos, NDLEA operatives arrested the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Trans Fortress Global Resources, Kolapo Raji, at his Ikate Lekki residence following intelligence linking him to drug trafficking.
A search of his apartment reportedly led to the recovery of four large bags containing 89.2 kilograms of Canadian Loud, a strong strain of cannabis, as well as a 2024 Toyota Hilux vehicle. He was said to have been on the agency’s watchlist since 2025.
The agency reiterated its commitment to intensifying surveillance and dismantling drug networks, warning that traffickers will find no hiding place across the nation’s borders and airports.
