The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested Fatimah Ahmad and her cousin Abubakar Yahaya at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport after operatives discovered 511.75 grams of cannabis hidden in a palm oil keg she was carrying to Saudi Arabia.
Arrest at Kano Airport
Ahmad was intercepted on Friday, October 16, 2026, during outward clearance for an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Jeddah via Addis Ababa, according to a statement issued on Sunday by NDLEA's Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi. Operatives recovered parcels of cannabis, popularly called skunk, weighing 511.75 grams from the container.
Ahmad told investigators that the gallon was given to her by her cousin, Abubakar Yahaya, who was traced to the airport car park and arrested. The NDLEA statement did not say whether Ahmad knew what the container held. However, in a "Public Alert" on X, with a video of officers removing polythene-wrapped substances from a keg, Babafemi said the woman was given the consignment and asked to deliver it to another person in Saudi Arabia.
Public Warning Issued
Babafemi warned that nobody should accept items from others for delivery, however close they are to the person, and said she could have faced grave consequences had the drugs been discovered in Saudi Arabia. He urged Nigerians to put their own safety and freedom first, regardless of their relationship with the person asking, and to share the warning with family and friends.
Broader NDLEA Operations
The Kano interception was part of NDLEA's latest weekly round-up, which also reported the discovery of 8,725 kilograms of powdered tramadol, worth over ₦6.98 billion, during a search of a shipment at the Apapa Port in Lagos. The agency also reported raids in Edo, Ondo, Bauchi, Kaduna and the Federal Capital Territory.
In Edo State, operatives arrested six suspects, including an 85-year-old woman found with 179 kilograms of skunk. In Ondo State, they raided a cannabis farm on October 17, destroying 7,500 kilograms of skunk on three hectares and arresting five suspects.
Previous Warnings on Courier Use
NDLEA has previously warned about travellers being used as couriers to Saudi Arabia. In May 2025, the agency said it dismantled a syndicate that sponsored intending hajj pilgrims as couriers to move cocaine, after arresting two pilgrims at the same Kano airport.
