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.

NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi said the Ivorian suspect, Gohouri Michael, 41, was arrested at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport while undergoing outward clearance for an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Milan via Addis Ababa.

According to the agency, the suspect was found to have ingested 82 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.49 kilogrammes. Investigations revealed he had arrived in Lagos from Milan in January and travelled between Lagos and Enugu for several weeks before moving to Kano, where he ingested the drugs in a hotel room prior to the attempted trip.

Babafemi said the suspect was promised €5,000 upon successful delivery of the consignment in Milan and was allegedly acting under the direction of a coordinator who guided his movements through the airport.

Further intelligence led operatives to arrest a 69-year-old medical doctor, Chudi Ofomata, at his residence in Magboro, Ogun State, on March 27, 2026.

The agency said Ofomata was identified as the suspected coordinator of the operation and was later flown to Kano for further investigation. Officers recovered 63 grams of promazepam and seven ampoules of promethazine injection from him at the time of arrest.

Babafemi said the arrests formed part of ongoing efforts by the agency to dismantle drug trafficking networks and their collaborators across the country.

In a separate operation in Lagos, NDLEA operatives also intercepted a luxury bus belonging to Chisco Transport, where illicit drugs were discovered concealed inside the vehicle.