Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have arrested a Nigeria-born businessman returning from Brazil after intercepting cocaine concealed in his private part and the soles of his footwear at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, the agency said.
The suspect, Uche Franklin Onyekwere, 47, was arrested on Jan. 29, 2026, following intelligence indicating he was attempting to smuggle illicit drugs into the country. NDLEA officials said a body scan confirmed the concealment, and a subsequent search led to the recovery of 1.6 kilograms of cocaine packaged in three large wraps.
During interrogation, Onyekwere, who is based in Brazil, admitted purchasing the cocaine abroad with the intention of selling it in Nigeria to raise business capital and fund his child’s naming ceremony, the agency said.
In separate operations nationwide, NDLEA officers seized large quantities of cannabis and other controlled substances across six states.
At the Tincan Island Port in Lagos, operatives intercepted 1,183 kilograms of Canadian Loud cannabis concealed in imported vehicles. In Niger State, officers recovered 2,735 kilograms of skunk and one kilogram of Colorado cannabis from a truck along the Dei-Dei–Abuja Expressway.
Further raids in Edo, Anambra, Ondo, Kano and Lagos states led to the arrest of multiple suspects and the seizure of skunk, pentazocine injections and tramadol tablets. In Kano, 12,500 ampoules of pentazocine were recovered, while 473 kilograms of skunk were seized in Ondo State. NDLEA officials also destroyed cannabis farms in Edo State, eradicating more than 4,000 kilograms of skunk.
NDLEA Chairman, retired Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa, commended the officers for the seizures and arrests, urging them to sustain balanced efforts in both drug supply suppression and demand reduction.
The agency said it also intensified its War Against Drug Abuse campaign through sensitisation programmes in schools, workplaces and communities across the country.
