After 35 Years In Brazil, Businessman Arrested With Ingested Cocaine On Return To Nigeria

After 35 years in Brazil, a businessman based in the South American country, Ezeokoli Sylva, has returned home with 700grams of cocaine buried in his stomach, a discovery made following his arrest by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos.

A statement by NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, on Sunday, said the 59-year-old Ezeokoli was arrested on Friday, November 29, 2024, at the E-Arrival hall of the airport upon his return from Sao Paulo, Brazil on Ethiopia Airlines flight via Addis Ababa.

“When he was taken for body scan, the result confirmed that the suspect had foreign objects concealed in his stomach. As a result, he was placed under excretion observation during which he expelled 29 wraps of substances that tested positive to cocaine weighing 700 grams.

In his statement, the suspect claimed he operated an African store in Brazil where he sold provisions, shoes and clothes. He added that he bought the illicit consignment in Sao Paulo to resell in Nigeria with a view to raising substantial capital to boost his business,” Babafemi stated.

Meanwhile, NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Investigation and General Investigation (DOGI) on Tuesday, November 26 intercepted two consignments containing cocaine and pentazocine injection going to the United Kingdom via a courier company in Lagos. While the cocaine weighing 200 grams was concealed in local fabrics, 40 ampoules of pentazocine injection weighing 110 grams were hidden in cartons.

In Kano State, NDLEA operatives on Thursday, November 28 arrested three suspects: Jamilu Adamu, 38; Umar Musa, 32; and Bunu Ali, 27, with 2,000 ampoules of pentazocine injection and 3,135,000 pills exol-5 at Gadar Tamburawa, Zaria Road.

No fewer than 2,120 kilograms of Ghanaian Loud, a strong strain of cannabis produced in Ghana, were intercepted by NDLEA operatives at the Ilesan beach, Lagos on Thursday, November 28. A suspect, Onibogi Muftau, was arrested in connection with the seizure, while four vehicles that were to convey the shipments from the waterfront were also recovered. This came on the heels of the seizure of 472kg of the same psychoactive substance at Idi-Iroko, Imeko area of Ogun state on Monday, November 25.

In Edo State, two suspects: Monday Onyenemue, 60, and Evans Omogiede, 42, were on Thursday, November 28 arrested and 185.6kg cannabis as well as a Toyota Previa bus marked BEN 06XL conveying the consignment recovered during an intelligence-led raid by NDLEA operatives at Ukuwague street, Benin City.

With the same vigour, Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA), sensitisation activities to schools, worship centres, work places and communities, among others, in the past week. These included: WADA sensitisation lecture to students and staff of Government Girls Secondary School, Kofar Wambai, Kano; Government Day Secondary School, Njoboli- Fulani, Yola, Adamawa state; Girls High School, Mgbowo, Enugu state; God’s Time College, Ikole Ekiti, Ekiti state while Cross River state Command delivered WADA sensitization lecture to traders at 8 Miles market, Calabar, among others.

While commending the officers and men of MMIA, DOGI, Lagos, Kano, and Edo Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures, chairman/chief executive officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), stated that their operational successes and those of their compatriots across the country, especially their balanced approach to drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts, were well appreciated.