The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has apprehended a Nigerian businessman, Ezeokoli Sylva, who arrived at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, with 700 grams of cocaine concealed in his stomach.
Femi Babafemi, NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, revealed in a statement on Sunday that the 59-year-old suspect was arrested on Friday, November 29, 2024, upon his arrival from São Paulo, Brazil, via an Ethiopian Airlines flight through Addis Ababa.
A body scan confirmed Sylva had ingested foreign objects, leading to his placement under excretion observation. Over time, he expelled 29 wraps of cocaine weighing 700 grams. During interrogation, the suspect claimed to operate an African store in Brazil, selling provisions, shoes, and clothes. He confessed to purchasing the cocaine in São Paulo with the intent of reselling it in Nigeria to raise capital for his business.
In another operation, NDLEA officers from the Directorate of Investigation and General Investigation (DOGI) intercepted two drug consignments destined for the United Kingdom on Tuesday, November 26. The packages contained 200 grams of cocaine hidden in local fabrics and 40 ampoules of pentazocine injection weighing 110 grams concealed in cartons.
Similarly, on Thursday, November 28, NDLEA operatives in Kano arrested three suspects—Jamilu Adamu (38), Umar Musa (32), and Bunu Ali (27)—at Gadar Tamburawa, Zaria Road. They were found in possession of 2,000 ampoules of pentazocine injection and over 3.1 million pills of Exol-5.
In Lagos, 2,120 kilograms of “Ghanaian Loud,” a potent cannabis strain, were seized at Ilesan Beach on November 28. A suspect, Onibogi Muftau, was arrested, and four vehicles intended to transport the contraband from the waterfront were impounded. Earlier in the week, 472 kilograms of the same substance were intercepted in Ogun State at Idi-Iroko, Imeko.
In Edo State, NDLEA operatives arrested two suspects, Monday Onyenemue (60) and Evans Omogiede (42), on November 28. A raid at Ukuwague Street, Benin City, led to the seizure of 185.6 kilograms of cannabis and a Toyota Previa vehicle used to transport the drugs.
Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), NDLEA’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, praised the MMIA, DOGI, Lagos, Kano, and Edo commands for their commitment and operational successes. He emphasized that these efforts contribute significantly to the agency’s dual strategy of reducing drug supply and demand across the country.
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