A Brazil-based Nigerian businessman, Uche Franklin Onyekwere, has been arrested at Murtala Muhammed Worldwide Airport, Lagos, for concealing cocaine in his personal components and footwear.
This was disclosed in an announcement signed by Femi Babafemi, Director of Media and Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja, on Sunday, 1st February 2026.
The arrest types a part of ongoing operations by the Nationwide Drug Regulation Enforcement Company (NDLEA) concentrating on illicit drug importation into Nigeria.
What NDLEA stated
In line with NDLEA, Onyekwere, has lived in São Paulo since 2008 and has operated a toy enterprise for about 9 years.
The 47-year-old was intercepted on Thursday, 29 January, throughout inward clearance of South African Airways passengers arriving from Brazil by way of Johannesburg.
When he was taken for a full physique scan, the consequence confirmed illicit drug concealment.
“In consequence, he was subjected to a strip search, throughout which a giant parcel of white powdery substance, which later examined constructive for cocaine, was found wrapped round his proper thigh. An extra search revealed two extra wraps of the identical substance hid within the sole of a pair of flat sneakers worn by the suspect. In all, three massive wraps of cocaine, with a gross weight of 1.60 kilograms, have been recovered from his physique and footwear,” the company stated
Investigations revealed he bought the medicine in Brazil to resell in Nigeria, intending to lift capital for his enterprise and finance the naming ceremony of his new child baby.
Extra insights
In Niger state, the company intercepted a truck alongside the Dei-Dei Abuja expressway carrying 176 luggage of skunk, a pressure of hashish, weighing 2,735 kilograms, and one kilogram of Colorado, an artificial hashish. Three suspects have been arrested in the course of the operation. Investigations revealed the driving force had left Lagos loaded with flour and later picked up the illicit consignment in Edo state for N1.7 million.
At Tincan seaport in Lagos, they found 55 jumbo luggage of Canadian Loud, weighing 1,183 kilograms, imported from Montreal, Canada. The medicine have been hidden in a Hyundai SUV and a Toyota Matrix car container.
The identical day, in Anambra state, officers intercepted a cement truck at Higher Iweka, Onitsha, the place 345.2 kilograms of skunk have been hid inside luggage of cement.
- In Edo state, a joint raid with Nigerian Military personnel led to the destruction of 4,063.675 kilograms of skunk on over 1.6 hectares of farmland at Ebora camp, Ilushi, Esan South East LGA. Officers additionally recovered 328 kilograms of processed hashish and seeds whereas arresting 4 suspects linked to the farm.
- Extra arrests in Edo concerned Shaibu Yusuf, who was intercepted whereas trying to move 66 luggage of skunk weighing 792 kilograms to Katsina.
- Throughout Ondo and Kano states, NDLEA operatives arrested Tunde Ogundele and Soji Elegbelye in reference to 473 kilograms of skunk, whereas Abdullahi Usman was nabbed with 12,500 ampoules of pentazocine injection. One other suspect, Musa Shuaibu, was apprehended with 4,390 tramadol capsules.
In Lagos and Badagry, operatives intercepted 15.5 kilograms and three.5 kilograms of skunk from different suspects heading for Onitsha.
What it’s best to know
NDLEA continues to make vital drug interceptions at Nigeria’s main worldwide airports, uncovering massive portions of narcotics hid on passengers or in baggage
The company intercepted two suspected traffickers at Lagos and Port Harcourt airports who had ingested a complete of 125 wraps of heroin throughout tried smuggling operations.
One suspect was arrested after arriving at Port Harcourt from Doha, whereas one other was apprehended at Lagos after flying from Madagascar by way of Addis Ababa, each discovered to have swallowed massive portions of heroin that have been later expelled and seized by operatives.
In October 2024, NDLEA operatives at Murtala Muhammed Worldwide Airport stopped two businessmen and a Canada‑primarily based nurse for cocaine and hashish trafficking.
- One businessman was arrested whereas attempting to board a flight to Thailand with ingested cocaine, and one other was apprehended on arrival from Brazil for comparable offences.
- A Nigerian Canadian nurse was additionally detained with parcels of hashish hidden in her baggage, highlighting how traffickers use each physique concealment and baggage to maneuver illicit medicine.
Extra lately, in November 2025, NDLEA uncovered cocaine hid in vehicle components on the Lagos airport export shed. A freight agent and an auto components vendor have been arrested after officers discovered cocaine pellets hidden inside a brake servo half destined for Gabon.
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