The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) arrests Milan-bound passenger, Michael Gohouri, also known as Anunwa Michael, at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, for ingesting 82 wraps of cocaine.
This was disclosed in a statement signed by Femi Babafemi, Director of Media and Advocacy at the NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja, on Sunday, 1st February 2026.
The arrest forms part of ongoing operations by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) targeting illicit drug trafficking through Nigeria’s airports and land borders.
What NDLEA said
According to NDLEA, Gohouri, a 41-year-old Ivorian national, was intercepted at the departure hall during outward clearance of Ethiopian Airlines flight ET940 to Milan via Addis Ababa.
When he was taken for a body scan, the results confirmed ingestion of illicit substances.
- “As a result, he was placed under observation, during which he excreted 82 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.49 kilograms. Investigations revealed he had arrived in Lagos from Milan on 17th January, shuttled between Lagos and Enugu for three weeks, and later ingested the cocaine in a hotel room in Kano.
- “He was expected to be paid 5,000 Euros upon delivery of the drugs in Milan,” the agency said.
Investigations by the agency revealed that Gohouri holds a Nigerian National Identification Number under the name Anunwa Onyinye Michael and obtained Italian residency in 2013, valid until May 25, 2026.
His mother hails from Enugu State, while his father is from Côte d’Ivoire.
More details
In separate operations, NDLEA officers intercepted 35-year-old Rabi Muhammad at the Seme land border on 16th February 2026 while she attempted to cross into Cotonou, Benin Republic.
A full body search revealed her pregnancy was fake, concealing 3,200 tramadol capsules in a pink calabash.
The agency also arrested Kolapo Oladapo Raji, CEO of Trans Fortress Global Resources, at his Lekki residence on 12th February, recovering 89.2 kilograms of Canadian Loud cannabis and a 2024 Toyota Hilux.
Raji admitted to entering the drug trade after profiting from consignments for an overseas associate.
- In Lagos, Ugwuja Kingsley was arrested with 56 kilograms of skunk at Agbara, while Ekwe Arinze was caught with 76 kilograms of the same substance at a motor park in Oshodi.
- At the Port Harcourt Ports Complex, Onne, Rivers State, 170,900 bottles of codeine-based syrup were recovered in a container following a joint intelligence-led inspection by NDLEA, Customs, and other security agencies.
- NDLEA operatives along the Okene-Lokoja highway in Kogi State recovered 7,300 tramadol pills concealed in two sound systems on a bus travelling from Lagos to Kano. Follow-up operations on 17th February in Zuba, Abuja, led to the arrest of two suspects linked to the consignment: Ezenma Kingsley, 26, and Ezeja Anthony, 29.
What you should know
NDLEA continues to make significant drug interceptions at Nigeria’s airports, seaports, and land borders, uncovering large quantities of narcotics concealed on passengers, ingested, or hidden in luggage and vehicles.
- The agency has previously intercepted two suspected traffickers at Lagos and Port Harcourt airports who had ingested a total of 125 wraps of heroin during attempted smuggling operations.
- One suspect was arrested after arriving at Port Harcourt from Doha, while another was apprehended at Lagos after flying from Madagascar via Addis Ababa, both found to have swallowed large quantities of heroin that were later expelled and seized by operatives.
- In October 2024, NDLEA operatives at Murtala Muhammed International Airport stopped two businessmen and a Canada‑based nurse for cocaine and cannabis trafficking.
- More recently, they uncovered cocaine concealed in automobile parts at the Lagos airport export shed. A freight agent and an auto parts dealer were arrested after officers found cocaine pellets hidden within a brake servo part destined for Gabon.
The agency has also intercepted multiple consignments of illicit drugs hidden in unusual items such as frozen snails, electrical bulbs, and women’s clothes.
