The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a Brazil-based Nigerian businessman, Uche Franklin Onyekwere, at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, for attempting to smuggle cocaine into the country.
The agency disclosed the arrest in a statement issued by its Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, on Sunday, 1 February 2026.
According to NDLEA, the 47-year-old suspect, who has lived in São Paulo since 2008 and operated a toy business for about nine years, was intercepted on Thursday, 29 January, during inward clearance of South African Airways passengers arriving from Brazil via Johannesburg.
A body scan reportedly indicated drug concealment, leading to a search that uncovered a parcel of cocaine strapped to his thigh. Additional wraps were also discovered hidden in the soles of his footwear. In total, three wraps of cocaine weighing 1.60 kilograms were recovered.
Investigations revealed that the suspect allegedly purchased the drugs in Brazil with plans to resell them in Nigeria to raise business capital and fund his newborn child’s naming ceremony.
Other Major NDLEA Seizures
The arrest is part of a wider series of anti-narcotics operations across Nigeria:
- Niger State: NDLEA officers intercepted a truck along the Dei-Dei Abuja expressway carrying 2,735kg of skunk and 1kg of Colorado, a synthetic cannabis strain. Three suspects were arrested.
- Tincan Seaport, Lagos: Officials uncovered 1,183kg of Canadian Loud concealed in vehicles shipped from Canada.
- Anambra State: A cement truck was found carrying 345.2kg of skunk hidden in cement bags in Onitsha.
- Edo State: A joint raid with the Nigerian Army led to the destruction of over 4,000kg of cannabis on farmland in Esan South East LGA. Several suspects were arrested, and more processed cannabis was recovered.
- Additional Edo operations led to the arrest of a suspect transporting 792kg of skunk to Katsina.
- Ondo and Kano States: Arrests linked to 473kg of skunk, 12,500 ampoules of pentazocine injection, and 4,390 tramadol pills.
- Lagos and Badagry: Seizures totaling 19kg of skunk from suspects heading to Onitsha.
Growing Airport Interceptions
NDLEA says it continues to record major interceptions at Nigeria’s airports, including suspects who swallow drug pellets or conceal narcotics in luggage and cargo.
Recent cases include traffickers caught with heroin at Lagos and Port Harcourt airports, as well as cocaine hidden in automobile parts destined for export.
The agency says the sustained operations reflect its commitment to disrupting international drug trafficking networks and preventing the spread of illicit substances within Nigeria.
