- NDLEA Busts Drug Trafficking Ring, Seizes Over 1,183kg of Canadian Loud at Tincan Port
- Babafemi disclosed that the total weight of the seized cocaine was 1.60 kilograms
- NDLEA operatives in Edo State arrested Shaibu Yusuf while he was transporting 66 bags of skunk
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 47-year-old Nigerian businessman based in Brazil, Uche Franklin Onyekwere, for attempting to smuggle cocaine into Nigeria by concealing the illicit drug on his body and inside his footwear.
Eko Hot Blog reports that Onyekwere was apprehended on Thursday, January 29, 2026, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, upon arrival on a South African Airways flight from Brazil.
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His arrest followed intelligence-led profiling and close surveillance by NDLEA operatives.
According to the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, a full-body scan raised suspicion, prompting a strip search that led to the discovery of a large parcel of cocaine strapped to the suspect’s right thigh. Further examination uncovered 2 additional wraps of cocaine hidden inside the soles of his shoes.
Babafemi disclosed that the total weight of the seized cocaine was 1.60 kilograms.
During preliminary interrogation, the suspect reportedly confessed to purchasing the drug in Brazil with the intention of selling it in Nigeria. He told investigators that the proceeds were meant to support his business and fund the naming ceremony of his newborn child. He also revealed that he had lived in Brazil since 2008, where he previously ran a toy business.
In related operations, NDLEA operatives on January 28 intercepted a shipment at the Tincan Seaport, Lagos, containing 55 jumbo bags of “Canadian Loud,” a high-grade strain of cannabis, weighing 1,183 kilograms. The drugs were concealed inside 2 imported vehicles, a Hyundai SUV and a Toyota Matrix shipped from Montreal, Canada.
Similarly, on January 26, NDLEA officers in Niger State arrested 3 suspects; Andy Chidogu, Kenneth Ogene, and Sadiq Olanrewaju—who were transporting 176 bags of skunk weighing 2,735 kilograms, along with 1 kilogram of Colorado, a synthetic cannabis substance.
In another operation on January 27, NDLEA operatives in Edo State arrested Shaibu Yusuf while he was transporting 66 bags of skunk concealed in sacks of charcoal. A follow-up raid on a cannabis farm in the area led to the destruction of 4,063.675 kilograms of skunk
The NDLEA said the seizures were part of its sustained nationwide crackdown on drug trafficking, alongside intensified drug demand-reduction campaigns in schools and communities.
Commending the operatives, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Marwa (Rtd.), praised their professionalism and vigilance, reaffirming the agency’s commitment to disrupting drug supply chains and reducing drug abuse across the country.
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