NDLEA intercepts Brazil returnee with cocaine hidden in private part, footwear

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), have arrested Uche Franklin Onyekwere, a Brazil-based Nigerian businessman, at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, for concealing cocaine in his private part and the soles of his footwear.

Onyekwere, 47, was intercepted on January 29, 2026, after intelligence indicated he was carrying illicit drugs from Brazil. A full-body scan confirmed the concealment, and a subsequent search recovered 1.6 kilograms of cocaine in three large wraps. During interrogation, he admitted purchasing the drugs in Brazil to resell in Nigeria to raise capital for his business and fund his child’s naming ceremony.

In separate operations, NDLEA seized large consignments of cannabis and controlled substances across six states. At Lagos’ Tincan seaport, 1,183 kilograms of Canadian Loud cannabis hidden in vehicles were intercepted. In Niger State, 2,735 kilograms of skunk and 1 kilogram of Colorado cannabis were recovered from a truck along the Dei-Dei Abuja Expressway.

Further raids in Edo, Anambra, Ondo, Kano, and Lagos led to the arrest of multiple suspects and seizure of skunk, pentazocine ampoules, and tramadol pills. Notably, 12,500 pentazocine ampoules were recovered in Kano, while 473 kilograms of skunk were seized in Ondo State. Cannabis farms in Edo were also destroyed, with over 4,000 kilograms of skunk eradicated.

NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the officers involved and urged continued balanced efforts in both drug supply and demand reduction. The agency also carried out educational and sensitisation programs in schools, workplaces, and communities nationwide to reinforce its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA).

culled from vanguard