Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested an Ivorian national and a Nigerian medical doctor over their alleged involvement in cocaine trafficking.
The agency said the Ivorian suspect, Gohouri Michael, 41, was apprehended at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, during the outward clearance of passengers on an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Milan, Italy, via Addis Ababa.
According to a statement on Sunday by Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA spokesperson, the suspect was found to have ingested 82 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.49kg.
“Gohouri had arrived in Lagos from Milan on January 17, 2026, and was shuttling between Lagos and Enugu for weeks before travelling to Kano, where he ingested the drugs in a hotel room,” the statement said.
He was reportedly promised a payment of 5,000 euros upon successful delivery of the drugs in Milan.
Further investigations led to the arrest of a 69-year-old medical doctor, Chudi Ofomata, identified as the alleged coordinator of the operation.
Babafemi said the doctor was tracked to his residence in Magboro, Ogun State, where he was arrested on March 27, 2026, and later transferred to Kano on April 7.
Items recovered from him included 63 grams of promazepam and seven ampoules of promethazine injection.
“The hidden figure behind Gohouri was eventually discovered to be Dr Chudi Ofomata, who was traced to his residence and arrested,” Babafemi said.
In a related operation, NDLEA operatives intercepted a luxury bus belonging to Chisco Transport along the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway, recovering 15kg of skunk concealed in a compartment. Two suspects were arrested in connection with the seizure.
The agency also recorded multiple arrests across states. In Abia State, a 90-year-old suspect was arrested with 7.7kg of skunk, while in Niger State, a couple was apprehended with 118kg of the substance.
Additional arrests were made in Imo State and Borno State, where operatives also intercepted consignments of illicit drugs, including Rohypnol tablets, codeine syrup, and pentazocine injections.
Babafemi said the operations form part of ongoing efforts by the agency to dismantle drug trafficking networks and curb substance abuse across the country.
