NDLEA Arrests Businessman Over 1.6kg Cocaine Concealed in Private Parts, Footwear at Lagos Airport
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a Brazil-based Nigerian businessman, Uche Franklin Onyekwere, for concealing 1.60kg of cocaine in his private parts and the soles of his footwear at the arrival hall of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos.
Onyekwere, 47, was arrested on Thursday, January 29, 2026, during the inward clearance of South African Airways passengers arriving from Brazil via Johannesburg, following credible intelligence.
The Director of Media and Advocacy of the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement made available to ThelensNG on Sunday.
“When the 47-year-old suspect was taken for full body scan, the result confirmed illicit drug concealment. As a result, he was subjected to a strip search, during which a big parcel of white powdery substance, which later tested positive for cocaine, was discovered wrapped around his right thigh.
“A further search revealed two additional wraps of the same substance concealed in the sole of a pair of flat shoes worn by the suspect. In all, three large wraps of cocaine, with a gross weight of 1.60 kilograms, were recovered from his body and footwear,” the statement said.
Babafemi noted that during a preliminary interview, the suspect revealed that he purchased the illicit drug consignment in Brazil with the intention of reselling the cocaine in Nigeria to raise capital to boost his business and finance the naming ceremony of his newborn child.
Onyekwere, who lives at Rua Ever, Mulariuha, São Paulo, claimed that he has been living in Brazil since 2008 and has been operating a toy business for about nine years.
At the Tin Can 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, January 28, during a joint examination of the shipment by NDLEA officers, Nigeria Customs Service, and other security agencies.
The illicit consignments were hidden inside two vehicles — a Hyundai SUV and a Toyota Matrix car.
In Niger State, NDLEA operatives acting on credible intelligence in the early hours of Tuesday, January 26, intercepted a long truck marked T 31589 LA along Dei-Dei Abuja expressway where they arrested the trio of Andy Chidogu, 49; Kenneth Ogene, 45; and Sadiq Olanrewaju, 27, for conveying 176 bags of skunk (a strain of cannabis) weighing 2,735 kilograms and 1 kilogram of Colorado (a synthetic cannabis) concealed in the truck.
According to Babafemi, investigations revealed that Kenneth Ogene who drives the truck left Lagos on January 23, loaded with 800 bags of flour to Ekpoma, Edo State and arrived the following day. While in Ekpoma, Ogene negotiated to transport the 176 bags of skunk and 1kg Colos for ₦1.7 million.
In another interdiction operation, NDLEA operatives in Edo State on Tuesday, January 27, arrested Shaibu Yusuf along Auchi-Abuja express road while looking for a vehicle to convey 66 bags of skunk concealed in bags of charcoal, weighing 792kg, to Katsina.
Operatives supported by Nigerian Army personnel on Wednesday, January 28, also raided a cannabis farm at Ebora camp, Ilushi in Esan South East LGA of the state, where 4,063.675kg skunk was destroyed on over 1.6 hectares farmland.
Four suspects identified as Jeremiah Nwodeh, 46; Chukwudi Pius,33; Pius Ogaba, 46; and Onora Kwene, 35, were apprehended at the camp, while 328kg processed cannabis and its seeds were recovered.
Similarly, NDLEA operatives intercepted a cement truck at Upper Iweka, Onitsha, in Anambra State, on Wednesday, January 28, while it was heading to Nkpor. A search of the trailer revealed that bags of cement were used to conceal 345.2kg of skunk owned by Abum Okeke, 42, who was one of the three occupants of the truck at the time of the arrest.
Two suspects — Tunde Ogundele,39, and Soji Elegbelye, 46, were arrested at Eleyewo community in Akure North area of Ondo State, in connection with the seizure of 473kg skunk on Monday, January 26. On the same day, NDLEA operatives in Kano nabbed Abdullahi Usman, 45, at Murtala Mohammed way, with 12,500 ampoules of pentazocine injection recovered from him.
No fewer than 4,390 pills of tramadol were seized from another suspect, Musa Shuaibu, 42, when he was arrested in the Gaya area of Kano State on Tuesday, January 27.
The statement added: “While Oragwan Ekene was arrested on Friday 30th January at Okeyson park, Alaba, Lagos, with 15.5kg skunk heading to Onitsha, Anambra State with the illicit consignment, 3.5kg of same psychoactive substance was recovered from a sound system and two packets of cereal found in the luggage of Omang Peter Edward at the arrival tarmac of Seme border, Badagry on Tuesday 27th January. The suspect was coming from Cotonou, Benin Republic into Lagos.”
In the same vein, the Commands and formations of NDLEA nationwide continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation activities in schools, worship centres, work places, communities, and other places in the past week.
The activities included WADA enlightenment lecture to students and staff of Government Day Junior Secondary School, Jaji Maji, Yobe; Boys Technical College, Aba, Abia; Government Technical and Vocational College, Obollo Orie, Enugu; St. John’s R.C.M Primary School, Odomola Eredo, Epe, Lagos; Yandaki Primary School, Kaita, Katsina; and Seed of Life College, Ibadan, Oyo State.
Reacting to the arrests and seizures, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa, commended the officers and men of the MMIA, Tincan, Niger, Lagos, Edo, Anambra, Ondo, and Kano Commands for their professionalism and commitment.
Marwa urged them and their colleagues across the country to continue the current balanced approach to drug supply and demand reduction efforts.
