A businessman based in Brazil, Ezeokoli Sylva, has been arrested by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) after attempting to smuggle 700 grams of cocaine into Nigeria by concealing the drugs in his stomach.
The 59-year-old was apprehended on Friday, November 29, 2024, at the E-Arrival Hall of Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, after arriving from São Paulo, Brazil, aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight. According to the NDLEA, Sylva had been under surveillance due to suspicions surrounding his arrival.
Upon being subjected to a body scan, NDLEA operatives discovered foreign objects inside Sylva’s stomach. He was placed under observation, during which he expelled 29 wraps of cocaine, which tested positive for the drug, weighing a total of 700 grams.
In his statement, Sylva claimed to run an African store in Brazil, where he sells provisions, shoes, and clothing. He admitted to purchasing the cocaine in São Paulo with the intent to resell it in Nigeria in order to raise capital for his business.
Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives in Lagos intercepted two consignments intended for the United Kingdom on Tuesday, November 26. The packages, sent through a courier company, contained 200 grams of cocaine hidden in local fabrics and 110 grams of pentazocine injection concealed in cartons.
The agency also reported multiple drug busts across the country. In Kano, three individuals—Jamilu Adamu (38), Umar Musa (32), and Bunu Ali (27)—were arrested on November 28 with 2,000 ampoules of pentazocine and over 3 million pills of Exol-5 at Gadar Tamburawa, Zaria Road.
Additionally, in Lagos, NDLEA operatives intercepted 2,120 kilograms of Ghanaian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, at Ilesan beach on November 28. A suspect, Onibogi Muftau, was arrested, and four vehicles that were meant to transport the shipment were seized. This came just days after a separate seizure of 472 kilograms of the same drug at Idi-Iroko, Imeko, Ogun State.
In Edo State, on November 28, NDLEA operatives arrested two suspects, Monday Onyenemue (60) and Evans Omogiede (42), and seized 185.6 kg of cannabis along with a Toyota Previa bus during an intelligence-led raid in Benin City.
The NDLEA also conducted several sensitization activities under its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign, reaching out to students, workers, and community members in various states.
NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the efforts of the agency’s operatives across the country, highlighting the importance of their balanced approach to both drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction initiatives.
