The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted a female passenger travelling to Saudi Arabia with cannabis concealed inside a keg of palm oil at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport.
Fatimah Ahmad was stopped on Friday, 16 October 2026, during the outward clearance of an Ethiopian Airlines flight bound for Jeddah via Addis Ababa. Operatives discovered parcels of cannabis weighing 511.75 grammes hidden inside the gallon of palm oil she was carrying.
Ahmad told officers that her cousin, Abubakar Yahaya, had given her the container. Yahaya was promptly arrested at the airport car park in connection with the consignment.
In a statement issued on Sunday, NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy Femi Babafemi confirmed the interception. He noted that the seizure formed part of a series of operations conducted across several states to disrupt drug trafficking networks.
The agency has repeatedly warned travellers never to accept parcels, luggage or containers from anyone, including relatives, without personally verifying the contents. Traffickers often exploit personal relationships and unsuspecting couriers to move illicit substances across borders. Anyone who carries such items risks arrest, prosecution and imprisonment, especially in countries with strict drug laws such as Saudi Arabia.
Babafemi urged Nigerians to reject any request to transport items for others and to share the warning with family and friends. The NDLEA continues to intensify intelligence led checks at airports, seaports and other locations to prevent the movement of drugs within and outside Nigeria
By A. Ikechukwu
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