-
NDLEA intercepts Brazil-based businessman at MMIA, Lagos, with 1.60kg cocaine
-
Illicit drugs hidden in private parts and shoe soles, agency confirms
-
Suspect admits trafficking to fund business and child’s naming ceremony
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 47-year-old Nigerian businessman, Uche Franklin Onyekwere, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, for attempting to smuggle cocaine into the country.
The suspect, who is based in Brazil, was apprehended on Thursday, January 29, 2026, during the inward clearance of passengers arriving on a South African Airways flight from Brazil via Johannesburg.
ATTENTION: Click “HERE” to join our WhatsApp group and receive News updates directly on your WhatsApp!
According to the NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the arrest followed actionable intelligence that prompted operatives to subject the passenger to enhanced screening.
Babafemi disclosed that a body scan revealed the presence of concealed substances, leading to a strip search during which three large wraps of cocaine weighing a total of 1.60 kilograms were recovered.
“One of the wraps was strapped to the suspect’s right thigh, while two others were discovered hidden inside the soles of the flat shoes he was wearing,” he said.
READ ALSO: NDLEA Arrests 77,792 Suspects, Seizes 14,847kg of Drugs in Five Years — Marwa
During preliminary interrogation, Onyekwere reportedly confessed to purchasing the cocaine in Brazil with the intention of reselling it in Nigeria.
He told investigators that the proceeds were meant to serve as capital for his business and to help finance the naming ceremony of his newborn child.
The suspect further revealed that he has lived in São Paulo, Brazil, since 2008, where he has been involved in the toy business for about nine years.
The NDLEA reiterated its resolve to intensify surveillance at the nation’s ports of entry to disrupt drug trafficking networks and prevent illicit drugs from entering the country.
