Manny Ita
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 in Lagos for attempting to smuggle 1.60 kilograms of cocaine. The arrest was confirmed in a statement issued on Sunday, February 1, 2026, by Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy. Mr. Onyekwere, 47, who reportedly operates a toy business in São Paulo, was intercepted on January 29 during the inward clearance of passengers arriving from Brazil via Johannesburg.
Following a suspicious body scan, the suspect was subjected to a secondary search which revealed narcotics hidden on his person and within his clothing. According to the agency, “he was subjected to a strip search, during which a big parcel of white powdery substance, which later tested positive for cocaine, was discovered wrapped around his right thigh. A further search revealed two additional wraps of the same substance concealed in the sole of a pair of flat shoes worn by the suspect.” The NDLEA reported that Mr. Onyekwere admitted to purchasing the drugs in Brazil with the intent of reselling them in Nigeria to raise capital for his business and to fund a naming ceremony for his newborn child.
In addition to the airport arrest, the NDLEA detailed several other significant drug seizures across Nigeria. In Niger State, officials intercepted a truck carrying 2,735 kilograms of cannabis skunk and synthetic cannabis hidden under bags of flour. At the Tincan seaport in Lagos, 1,183 kilograms of “Canadian Loud” were discovered inside containers holding a Hyundai SUV and a Toyota Matrix. Further operations in Anambra and Edo states resulted in the seizure of hundreds of kilograms of cannabis concealed in cement trucks and the destruction of over 4,000 kilograms of illicit crops on a 1.6-hectare farmland in the Esan South East local government area.
The agency also reported multiple arrests in Ondo, Kano, and Lagos involving the illegal transport of tramadol pills, pentazocine injections, and various strains of cannabis. These recent operations follow a series of high-profile interceptions at Nigeria’s international gateways, including a November 2025 case where cocaine was found hidden inside automobile brake parts. The NDLEA reaffirmed its commitment to dismantling trafficking networks that utilize both body concealment and industrial cargo to move narcotics into and out of the country.
