Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have arrested an Ivorian national and a Nigerian medical doctor over an alleged transnational cocaine trafficking scheme, alongside a string of other drug seizures across several states.

The Ivorian, identified as 41-year-old Gohouri Michael, was intercepted at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport during the outward clearance of passengers on an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Milan, Italy, via Addis Ababa. NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi said a scan and subsequent examination revealed that Gohouri had ingested 82 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.49 kilograms.

Investigators disclosed that Gohouri had arrived in Lagos from Milan and spent weeks shuttling between Lagos and Enugu before moving to Kano, where he allegedly ingested the cocaine consignment in a hotel room. He was reportedly promised 5,000 euros on successful delivery of the drugs in Milan.

According to the NDLEA, Gohouri was acting on instructions from a “shadowy figure” who guided him on how to move the drugs through the airport. Intelligence-led investigations later traced this suspected coordinator to Ogun State, leading to the arrest of 69-year-old medical doctor, Chudi Ofomata.

Ofomata was picked up at his residence in Teachers’ Land Estate, Magboro, in the Obafemi Owode Local Government Area. At the point of arrest, operatives recovered 63 grams of promazepam and seven ampoules of promethazine injection. He was subsequently flown to Kano for further investigation and possible prosecution.

The NDLEA said the arrests form part of a broader crackdown on drug trafficking networks and their local collaborators. In Lagos, operatives acting on intelligence intercepted a Chisco Transport luxury bus heading to Port Harcourt along the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway. A search of the vehicle uncovered 15 kilograms of skunk, a potent strain of cannabis, hidden in one of its compartments. Two suspects, Kingsley Nsofor and Opara Ifeanyi, were arrested.

Across other states, the agency reported multiple seizures. In Abia, a nonagenarian, Pa Friday Ahukanna Chigbu, was arrested at his Osisioma residence, where 7.7 kilograms of skunk were recovered. In Ogun, three suspects were caught with 34 kilograms of the same substance, while in Imo, a 26-year-old woman was found with 56.2 kilograms.

In Niger State, a couple, Abdullahi Umar and his wife, Adama, were arrested after 118 kilograms of skunk were discovered in their kitchen. In Borno, operatives intercepted a trailer loaded with Rohypnol tablets, codeine syrup and pentazocine injections, arresting the owner of the consignment. Another operation in Mushin, Lagos, led to the seizure of 26,800 bottles of codeine-based syrup and the arrest of two suspects.