Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a Brazil-based Nigerian businessman, Uche Franklin Onyekwere, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, for allegedly concealing cocaine in his private parts and footwear.
The arrest took place on Thursday, January 29, 2026, during the inward clearance of South African Airways passengers arriving from Brazil via Johannesburg. According to the NDLEA, the operation was carried out based on credible and processed intelligence that flagged the suspect for close monitoring upon arrival.
The agency said the 47-year-old suspect was taken for a full body scan, which confirmed the presence of illicit substances concealed on him. A subsequent strip search led to the discovery of a large parcel of cocaine wrapped around his right thigh, while two additional wraps of the drug were found hidden in the soles of his flat shoes. In total, three wraps of cocaine weighing 1.60 kilogrammes were recovered.
During preliminary interrogation, Onyekwere reportedly admitted that he purchased the drugs in Brazil with the intention of selling them in Nigeria to raise capital for his business and to finance the naming ceremony of his newborn child. The suspect, who resides in São Paulo, Brazil, disclosed that he has lived in the country since 2008 and operated a toy business for about nine years.
Meanwhile, the NDLEA recorded several other major drug seizures across the country. At the Tincan Seaport in Lagos, officers intercepted 55 jumbo bags of Canadian Loud cannabis weighing 1,183kg, concealed inside two vehicles imported from Canada. In Niger State, operatives arrested three suspects with 2,735kg of skunk and one kilogramme of Colorado.
Further arrests and seizures were recorded in Edo, Anambra, Ondo, Kano, and Lagos states, involving large quantities of skunk, tramadol, and pentazocine. NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended officers nationwide and urged them to sustain efforts in drug supply reduction and public sensitisation through the War Against Drug Abuse campaign.
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