The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has apprehended a Brazilian-based Nigerian businessman at Lagos’ Murtala Muhammed International Airport for attempting to smuggle cocaine into the country, while simultaneously seizing more than six tonnes of illicit substances in coordinated raids across multiple states.
Uche Franklin Onyekwere, 47, was detained on January 29, 2026, at the airport’s arrival hall following intelligence-led surveillance. The suspect, who arrived on a South African Airways flight from Brazil via Johannesburg, was found carrying cocaine concealed on his person and hidden in his footwear.
Following a body scan that indicated drug concealment, a thorough search uncovered a large package of white powder—later confirmed as cocaine—strapped to his right thigh. Two additional packages were discovered embedded in the soles of his shoes, bringing the total weight of recovered cocaine to 1.60 kilograms.
During initial questioning, Onyekwere revealed he purchased the narcotics in Brazil intending to sell them in Nigeria. He claimed the proceeds would fund his business operations and cover expenses for his newborn child’s naming ceremony. The suspect stated he has resided in Brazil since 2008, where he ran a toy business for approximately nine years.
In a separate operation at Tin Can seaport in Lagos, NDLEA officers working alongside Customs and other security agencies discovered 55 jumbo bags of Canadian Loud—a potent cannabis strain—weighing 1,183 kilograms on January 28. The shipment, originating from Montreal, Canada, was found concealed inside a Hyundai SUV and Toyota Matrix packed within a shipping container.
Niger State saw significant enforcement action when operatives intercepted a long-distance truck on the Dei-Dei–Abuja expressway during the early hours of January 26. Three individuals—Andy Chidogu, 49; Kenneth Ogene, 45; and Sadiq Olanrewaju, 27—were arrested for transporting 176 bags of cannabis (2,735 kilograms) and one kilogram of synthetic cannabis known as Colorado.
Investigation revealed that Ogene, the truck driver, departed Lagos on January 23 carrying 800 bags of flour destined for Ekpoma, Edo State. Upon arrival, he allegedly agreed to transport the cannabis consignment for N1.7 million.
In Edo State, NDLEA officers arrested Shaibu Yusuf on January 27 along the Auchi–Abuja expressway as he attempted to arrange transportation for 66 bags of cannabis disguised as charcoal, weighing 792 kilograms, bound for Katsina.
A major cannabis cultivation site was dismantled on January 28 when NDLEA operatives, supported by Nigerian Army personnel, raided a farm at Ebora camp in Ilushi, Esan South East Local Government Area. Over 1.6 hectares of farmland yielded 4,063.675 kilograms of cannabis, which was destroyed on-site. Additionally, 328 kilograms of processed cannabis and seeds were recovered. Four suspects were arrested during the operation: Jeremiah Nwodeh, 46; Chukwudi Pius, 33; Pius Ogaba, 46; and Onora Kwene, 35.
Anambra State operations resulted in the seizure of 345.2 kilograms of cannabis hidden beneath cement bags in a truck intercepted at Upper Iweka, Onitsha, on January 28. The vehicle was traveling to Nkpor when officers made the discovery, leading to the arrest of Abum Okeke, 42.
In Ondo State, two suspects—Tunde Ogundele, 39, and Soji Elegbelye, 46—were apprehended on January 26 in Eleyewo community, Akure North, in connection with the seizure of 473 kilograms of cannabis.
Meanwhile, Kano operations on January 26 led to the arrest of Abdullahi Usman, 45, at Murtala Mohammed Way, where officers recovered 12,500 ampoules of pentazocine injection.
The series of operations across multiple states underscores the NDLEA’s intensified efforts to combat drug trafficking throughout Nigeria.
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