The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has apprehended Ezeokoli Sylva, a 59-year-old businessman based in Brazil, for allegedly attempting to smuggle 700 grams of cocaine into Nigeria.
Sylva, who has lived in Brazil for 35 years, was arrested on November 29 at the E-Arrival Hall of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Ikeja, Lagos, upon his return from São Paulo, Brazil.
According to NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, Sylva’s arrest followed a body scan that revealed the presence of foreign objects concealed in his stomach.
He was subsequently placed under observation, during which he expelled 29 wraps of substances that tested positive for cocaine, weighing 700 grams in total.
Sylva reportedly claimed that he operates an African store in Brazil, where he sells provisions, shoes, and clothing.
He stated that he had purchased the illicit drugs in São Paulo with the intention of reselling them in Nigeria to raise capital for his business.
This arrest is part of a larger crackdown on drug trafficking by the NDLEA.
Earlier in November, the agency intercepted two consignments of cocaine and pentazocine injections bound for the United Kingdom through a courier company in Lagos.
In another operation on November 28, NDLEA operatives in Kano arrested three individuals with 2,000 ampoules of pentazocine injection and over 3 million pills of Exol-5.
Meanwhile, the NDLEA also made significant drug seizures in Lagos, including the interception of over 2,120 kilograms of “Ghanaian Loud,” a potent strain of cannabis, at Ilesan beach, Lagos.
A suspect, Onibogi Muftau, was arrested in connection with the cannabis haul, which was to be transported via four vehicles recovered by the operatives.
These recent operations demonstrate the continued efforts of the NDLEA to combat drug trafficking and keep illicit substances out of Nigerian communities.