The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has apprehended a 59-year-old Nigerian businessman, Ezeokoli Sylva, for allegedly attempting to smuggle 700 grammes of cocaine concealed in his stomach.
The arrest occurred on Friday, November 29, 2024, at the E-Arrival hall of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja, Lagos. Sylva, who has lived in Brazil for 35 years, was returning to Nigeria on an Ethiopian Airlines flight from São Paulo, Brazil, via Addis Ababa.
In a statement released on Sunday, NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi said a body scan conducted on Sylva revealed foreign objects in his stomach.
“Following the scan, the suspect was placed under excretion observation, during which he expelled 29 wraps of substances that tested positive for cocaine, weighing a total of 700 grammes,” Babafemi stated.
The businessman admitted he planned to sell the drugs in Nigeria to expand his business operations. “He claimed to run an African store in Brazil, dealing in provisions, shoes, and clothes. He stated that he purchased the drugs in São Paulo to resell in Nigeria to raise substantial capital for his business,” Babafemi explained.
The NDLEA also intercepted two separate drug consignments en route to the United Kingdom via a courier service in Lagos on November 26.
According to Babafemi, “The first consignment contained 200 grammes of cocaine concealed in local fabrics, while the second included 40 ampoules of pentazocine injections weighing 110 grammes hidden in cartons.”
In Kano, three suspects—Jamilu Adamu, 38; Umar Musa, 32; and Bunu Ali, 27—were arrested on November 28 at Gadar Tamburawa, Zaria Road, with 2,000 ampoules of pentazocine injections and 3,135,000 Exol-5 pills.
A significant haul of a potent cannabis strain known as Ghanaian Loud was recovered at Ilesan Beach, Lagos, on November 28. Babafemi said NDLEA operatives intercepted 2,120 kilogrammes of the drug and arrested a suspect, Onibogi Muftau.
“Four vehicles meant to transport the shipment from the waterfront were also recovered during the operation,” he added.
Earlier in the week, 472 kilogrammes of the same substance were seized at Idi-Iroko in Ogun State on November 25.
