Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 35-year-old woman for attempting to smuggle thousands of tramadol capsules concealed inside a fake pregnancy at the Seme border.
The suspect, Rabi Muhammad, a Kano-based businesswoman, was intercepted on Monday, February 16, 2026, at the departure point of the Seme land border in Lagos while trying to cross into Cotonou, Benin Republic. NDLEA officers reportedly became suspicious after observing her conspicuously protruding abdomen during routine checks.
A detailed search, however, exposed what officials described as a “shocking discovery.” The suspect was not pregnant. Instead, she had strapped a pink-coloured calabash to her stomach to simulate a baby bump and used it to conceal 3,200 capsules of tramadol intended for sale in Cotonou.
According to the agency, the opioid capsules were carefully secured around her waist beneath her clothing, giving the convincing appearance of an advanced pregnancy in an apparent bid to evade scrutiny at the border.
The arrest formed part of a broader anti-narcotics operation carried out across the country. On the same day, NDLEA operatives at the screening area of the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport apprehended a 41-year-old Ivorian national, Michael Gohouri, during clearance for an outbound Ethiopian Airlines flight to Milan via Addis Ababa.
A body scan confirmed ingestion of illicit substances, after which the suspect was placed under observation. He subsequently excreted 82 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.49 kilograms and was said to have been promised €5,000 upon successful delivery of the drugs in Italy.
Reacting to the arrests, NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Mohamed Buba Marwa, praised the vigilance of officers at the border and airport, noting that traffickers continue to deploy desperate and deceptive tactics to beat security checks.
He reiterated the agency’s resolve to intensify surveillance at land borders, airports and other transit points, stressing that no concealment strategy — including fake pregnancies — would shield offenders from arrest and prosecution.
The NDLEA said the operations underscore its sustained offensive against drug trafficking networks while maintaining public sensitisation efforts under its War Against Drug Abuse campaign nationwide.
