NDLEA seizes cocaine from Brazil returnee hidden in footwear , private parts
.....as agency intercepts jumbo bags of Canadian loud
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has apprehended Uche Franklin Onyekwere, a Nigerian businessman based in Brazil, upon his arrival at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos for concealing cocaine in his private parts and footwear.
He was arrested on Thursday 29th January 2026 during the inward clearance of South African Airways flight passengers arriving from Brazil via Johannesburg following processed intelligence. When the 47-year-old suspect was taken for full body scan, the result confirmed illicit drug concealment
Following a thorough search, a substantial quantity of cocaine was discovered on the individual, wrapped around his right thigh, which was later confirmed through testing. Additional packets of the same substance were discovered concealed within his shoes. In total, three packets of cocaine, weighing 1.60 kilograms gross, were recovered.
During the preliminary interview, the suspect confessed to purchasing the cocaine in Brazil, intending to resell it in Nigeria to generate business capital and fund the naming ceremony of his newborn child. The suspect, residing in Rua Ever, Mulariuha, São Paulo, stated he has been a resident of Brazil since 2008, operating a toy business for approximately nine years.
At the Tincan seaport in Lagos, a total of 55 jumbo bags of Canadian Loud, a strong strain of cannabis with a gross weight of 1,183 kilograms imported from Montreal, Canada in a container was discovered on Wednesday 28th January during a joint examination of the shipment by NDLEA officers, Customs and other security agencies. The illicit consignments were hidden inside two vehicles: a Hyundai SUV and a Toyota Matrix car
The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the operatives and Commands for their professionalism and commendable arrests and seizures, and encouraged them and their counterparts across the country to maintain the current balanced strategy in tackling drug supply and demand reduction.
