Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested one Ezeokoli Sylva, who returned to Nigeria after 35 years in Brazil, with 700grams of cocaine buried in his stomach.
Spokesman of the agency, Femi Babafemi, on Sunday, in a statement, said that Sylva, a business man in the South American country, was arrested at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos State.
“The 59-year-old Ezeokoli was arrested on Friday 29th November, 2024 at the E-Arrival hall of the Lagos 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 700grams,” Babafemi said.
In his statement, the suspect claimed he operates an African store in Brazil where he sells provisions, shoes and clothes.
He also that he bought the illicit consignment in Sao Paulo to resell in Nigeria with a view to raising substantial capital to boost his business.
Meanwhile, NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Investigation and General Investigation (DOGI), on Tuesday 26th November intercepted two consignments containing cocaine and pentazocine injection going to the United Kingdom via a courier company in Lagos.
While the cocaine weighing 200grams was concealed in local fabrics, 40 ampoules of pentazocine injection weighing 110grams were hidden in cartons.
Also, no fewer than 2,120kgs of Ghanaian Loud, a strong strain of cannabis produced in Ghana were intercepted by NDLEA operatives at the Ilesan beach, Lagos on Thursday 28th November.
A suspect, Onibogi Muftau, was arrested in connection with the seizure while four vehicles that were to convey the shipments from the water front were also recovered.
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