The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested Ezeokoli Sylva, a 59-year-old businessman, at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja, Lagos, for attempting to smuggle 700 grams of cocaine hidden in his stomach.
Ezeokoli was returning to Nigeria after a 35-year stay in Brazil.
The suspect arrived from São Paulo, Brazil, aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight on 29th November 2024. A body scan indicated concealed substances, leading to excretion observation, during which he expelled 29 wraps of cocaine.
NDLEA spokesman Femi Babafemi stated on Sunday that Ezeokoli was detained at the E-Arrival hall of the Lagos airport after his flight from São Paulo via Addis Ababa.
“The body scan confirmed the presence of foreign objects in his stomach. Consequently, he was placed under excretion observation, during which he expelled 29 wraps that tested positive for cocaine, weighing a total of 700 grams.
“In his statement, Ezeokoli claimed to operate an African store in Brazil, selling provisions, shoes, and clothes. He asserted that he purchased the illicit consignment in São Paulo to resell in Nigeria in order to raise significant capital to boost his business,” Babafemi said.
