Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted a 35-year-old woman who attempted to smuggle a large consignment of tramadol through the Seme Land Border by disguising it under a fake pregnancy.
The suspect, identified as Rabi Muhammad, a Kano-based businesswoman, was arrested on Monday, February 16, 2026, while attempting to cross into Cotonou, Benin Republic. NDLEA officers became suspicious after observing her unusually protruding abdomen during routine profiling at the border’s outbound checkpoint.
A thorough body search later revealed that the pregnancy was staged. Instead of a baby, Muhammad had strapped a specially crafted calabash to her abdomen, concealing 3,200 capsules of tramadol, which she allegedly intended to traffic across the border for sale.
Confirming the arrest in a statement issued on Sunday, February 22, NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, described the concealment method as deceptive and dangerous.
He said the suspect deliberately exploited societal sensitivity toward pregnant women to evade security checks, warning that traffickers are increasingly adopting unconventional and risky tactics to move illicit drugs across Nigeria’s borders.
Babafemi reiterated the agency’s resolve to intensify surveillance and profiling at border points, stressing that no disguise would shield traffickers from detection.
