NDLEA Smashes Major Drug Syndicates: Brazil Returnee, 10 Tons of Narcotics Intercepted

LAGOS – The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has dealt a massive blow to international and local drug cartels, arresting a Brazil-based businessman at the Lagos airport and seizing nearly 10 tons of illicit substances across seven states.

​The “Naming Ceremony” Cocaine Bust

​On Thursday, January 29, 2026, operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) intercepted 47-year-old Uche Franklin Onyekwere. Arriving from São Paulo via Johannesburg, Onyekwere’s attempt to bypass security failed when a full-body scan flagged anomalies.

​A subsequent strip search revealed a sophisticated concealment method: cocaine parcels were wrapped around his private parts (specifically his right thigh) and hidden within the hollowed-out soles of his footwear. The total haul weighed 1.60 kilograms.

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​Onyekwere, who has lived in Brazil since 2008, claimed the drugs were intended to raise capital for his toy business and to fund the naming ceremony of his newborn child.

​Massive Tonnage: From Canadian Loud to Skunk

​The agency’s week-long “War Against Drug Abuse” (WADA) yielded record-breaking seizures across Nigeria’s ports and highways:

• ​Tincan Seaport: 1,183kg of “Canadian Loud” (a potent cannabis strain) was discovered hidden inside a Hyundai SUV and a Toyota Matrix imported from Montreal.
• ​Niger State: A long truck carrying 800 bags of flour was found to be a front for 2,735kg of Skunk and synthetic cannabis (Colorado). Three suspects were apprehended along the Dei-Dei Abuja expressway.

• ​Edo State: In a joint operation with the Nigerian Army, a massive cannabis farm at Ebora Camp was raided. Over 4,000kg of Skunk was destroyed on-site, with an additional 328kg of processed weed recovered.
• ​Anambra & Ondo: Over 800kg of drugs were intercepted in separate operations involving cement trucks and community raids.

​Pharmaceutical Opioids Intercepted in Kano

​The North was not left out of the crackdown. In Kano, NDLEA officers recovered 12,500 ampoules of Pentazocine injection—a powerful synthetic opioid—from Abdullahi Usman. Additionally, over 4,300 Tramadol pills were seized from a suspect in the Gaya area.

​A Balanced Approach

​Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), Chairman of the NDLEA, praised the professionalism of the officers involved. He emphasized that the agency is maintaining a “balanced approach,” pairing aggressive supply reduction with nationwide sensitization lectures in schools and workplaces.

​The NDLEA remains on high alert as traffickers continue to devise desperate methods to move illicit substances through Nigeria’s borders.