A Nigeria-born businessman based in Brazil, Uche Franklin Onyekwere, has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, for attempting to smuggle cocaine into the country.
The 47-year-old suspect was apprehended on Thursday, January 29, 2026, at the airport’s arrival hall while undergoing inward clearance after arriving on a South African Airways flight from Brazil via Johannesburg. His arrest followed what the agency described as processed intelligence.
Confirming the development, NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi said officers became suspicious and subjected Onyekwere to a full body scan, which revealed signs of 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.”
Babafemi disclosed that during a preliminary interview, the suspect admitted purchasing the illicit drugs in Brazil with plans to sell them in Nigeria. According to him, the proceeds were intended to raise capital for his business and also fund the naming ceremony of his newborn child.
The NDLEA spokesperson added that Onyekwere, who resides on Rua Ever, Mulariuha, São Paulo, claimed he has lived in Brazil since 2008 and has operated a toy business for about nine years.
