Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have thwarted attempts by suspected traffickers to smuggle cocaine and opioids through the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport in Kano and the Seme land border in Lagos.
In a statement issued by the Femi Babafemi
Director, Media & Advocacy NDLEA who stated that a 35-year-old businesswoman, Rabi Muhammad, was arrested at the Seme border while attempting to travel to Cotonou, Benin Republic, with 3,200 capsules of tramadol concealed in a fake pregnancy bump strapped to her abdomen.
In a related development, a 41-year-old Ivorian national, Michael Gohouri, was intercepted at the Kano airport during clearance for an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Milan via Addis Ababa. A body scan confirmed he had ingested illicit substances. He later excreted 82 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.49 kilograms and was reportedly to be paid 5,000 Euros upon delivery in Italy.
In Lagos, NDLEA operatives arrested the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Trans Fortress Global Resources, Kolapo Oladapo Raji, at his Ikate, Lekki residence. He was found with 89.2 kilograms of “Canadian Loud,” a strong strain of cannabis, and a 2024 Toyota Hilux vehicle. He allegedly admitted financing drug consignments before establishing his own distribution network.
Additional operations led to multiple arrests and seizures across Lagos, Rivers, Kogi, Ondo, Bauchi, Delta and Edo states, including the interception of over 170,000 bottles of codeine-based syrup at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex and the destruction of large cannabis farms in Edo.
The agency also intensified its War Against Drug Abuse sensitisation campaigns in schools and communities nationwide.
NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended officers across the commands for their operational successes and reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to reducing both drug supply and demand.
