By Amofokhai Williams
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 47-year-old Nigerian businessman based in Brazil, Uche Franklin Onyekwere, for attempting to smuggle 1.60 kilograms of cocaine into Nigeria concealed in his private parts and the soles of his footwear.
This is contained in a statement issued by NDLEA’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi on Sunday.
Onyekwere was apprehended on Thursday, January 29, 2026, at the arrival hall of Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Ikeja during the inward clearance of passengers arriving from Brazil via Johannesburg on South African Airways. Intelligence-led checks prompted a full body scan, which confirmed concealment.
A subsequent strip search revealed a large parcel of white powdery substance, later confirmed as cocaine, wrapped around his right thigh, along with two additional wraps hidden in the soles of his flat shoes.
In a preliminary interview, the suspect stated that he purchased the drugs in Brazil with plans to resell them in Nigeria to generate capital for his toy business and to fund the naming ceremony for his newborn child. Onyekwere, who has resided in São Paulo since 2008, operates a toy business in the city.
The interception is part of a wider wave of NDLEA operations across several states in late January 2026, resulting in the seizure of more than 9,939 kilograms of various cannabis strains, including Loud, Colos, and Skunk, along with other illicit substances.
At the Tincan seaport in Lagos, a joint examination on January 28 uncovered 1,183 kilograms of Canadian Loud cannabis imported from Montreal, concealed inside a Hyundai SUV and a Toyota Matrix car within a container.
In Niger State, operatives intercepted a long truck along the Dei-Dei–Abuja expressway on January 26, arresting three men and recovering 2,735 kilograms of skunk and 1 kilogram of synthetic cannabis (Colos). Investigations showed the driver had transported the consignment from Ekpoma in Edo State for a fee of N1.7 million after initially carrying flour.
In Edo State, NDLEA teams arrested a suspect on January 27 attempting to move 792 kilograms of skunk hidden in charcoal bags along the Auchi–Abuja expressway.
The following day, supported by Nigerian Army personnel, officers raided a cannabis farm at Ebora camp in Ilushi, Esan South East Local Government Area, destroying 4,063.675 kilograms of skunk across more than 1.6 hectares and recovering 328 kilograms of processed cannabis and seeds. Four suspects were arrested at the site.
Anambra State saw the interception of a cement truck at Upper Iweka in Onitsha on January 28, where 345.2 kilograms of skunk were found concealed among bags of cement.
In Ondo State, two suspects were arrested on January 26 at Eleyewo community in Akure North with 473 kilograms of skunk. Kano operations yielded 12,500 ampoules of pentazocine injection from one suspect and 4,390 tramadol pills from another in separate arrests.
Additional recoveries included 15.5 kilograms of skunk seized in Lagos and 3.5 kilograms concealed in a sound system and cereal packets at the Seme border from Benin Republic.
Throughout the period, NDLEA officers sustained War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization efforts, delivering enlightenment lectures at schools in Yobe, Abia, Enugu, Lagos, Katsina, and Oyo states, among other locations.
NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) commended the professionalism of officers in the MMIA, Tincan, Niger, Lagos, Edo, Anambra, Ondo, and Kano commands, urging continued balanced action on both supply reduction and demand reduction efforts nationwide.
