Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a Brazil-based Nigerian businessman, Uche Franklin Onyekwere, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, for attempting to smuggle cocaine into the country using sophisticated concealment methods.
According to a statement on Sunday by the Director Media and Advocacy NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja, Femi Babafemi. Franklin Onyekwere, 47yrs, was apprehended on Thursday, January 29, 2026, during the inward clearance of passengers arriving on a South African Airways flight from Brazil via Johannesburg. The arrest followed processed intelligence, which prompted a detailed screening of the suspect.
A full-body scan confirmed the presence of illicit substances, leading to a physical search during which three large wraps of cocaine were recovered. One parcel was found strapped to his thigh, while two others were concealed in the soles of his footwear. The total weight of the cocaine seized was 1.60 kilograms.
In a preliminary interview, the suspect reportedly confessed that he purchased the cocaine in Brazil with the intention of reselling it in Nigeria. He claimed the proceeds were meant to boost his business and help finance the naming ceremony of his newborn child. Onyekwere, who resides in São Paulo, Brazil, said he has lived there since 2008 and has operated a toy business for about nine years.
NDLEA Seizes Over 9.9 Tonnes of Drugs in Nationwide Raids
Meanwhile, at the Tincan Island Port in Lagos, NDLEA officers, in collaboration with the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies, intercepted 55 jumbo bags of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, weighing 1,183 kilograms. The drugs, imported from Montreal, Canada, were concealed inside two vehicles—a Hyundai SUV and a Toyota Matrix—packed in a container examined on Wednesday, January 28.
In Niger State, NDLEA operatives intercepted a long truck along the Dei-Dei–Abuja Expressway in the early hours of Tuesday, January 26, leading to the arrest of three suspects. The truck was found to be conveying 176 bags of skunk cannabis, weighing 2,735 kilograms, along with 1 kilogram of Colorado, a synthetic cannabis.
Investigations revealed that the truck driver, Kenneth Ogene, had initially transported flour from Lagos to Ekpoma, Edo State, before negotiating to move the illicit drugs for ₦1.7 million.
Further operations in Edo State led to the arrest of another suspect, Shaibu Yusuf, who was caught attempting to transport 792 kilograms of skunk concealed in charcoal bags. In a separate operation, NDLEA operatives, supported by Nigerian Army personnel, raided a cannabis farm at Ebora Camp, Ilushi, in Esan South East Local Government Area, where over 4,063 kilograms of cannabis cultivated on 1.6 hectares of land were destroyed. Additional quantities of processed cannabis and seeds were recovered, and four suspects were arrested.
In Anambra State, NDLEA officers intercepted a cement-laden truck at Upper Iweka, Onitsha, uncovering 345.2 kilograms of skunk hidden among cement bags. The drugs were linked to one of the occupants of the truck, Abum Okeke, who was arrested.
Operations also extended to Ondo and Kano States, where several suspects were arrested in connection with cannabis and pharmaceutical drug trafficking. In Kano, NDLEA operatives recovered 12,500 ampoules of pentazocine injection from one suspect, while another was found with 4,390 tramadol pills.
Additional arrests were recorded in Lagos and at the Seme Border in Badagry, where suspects were intercepted with varying quantities of skunk concealed in luggage and personal effects while attempting to move the drugs across state and international borders.
Marwa Commends Officers, Reaffirms NDLEA’s Balanced Approach
Beyond enforcement, the NDLEA said its officers continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaigns across schools, worship centres, workplaces, and communities nationwide during the week under review.
Commending the officers involved in the nationwide operations, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), praised their professionalism and dedication. He urged them to sustain the agency’s balanced approach to tackling both drug supply and drug demand reduction.
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