How we caught Brazil returnee who inserted wraps of cocaine in anus – NDLEA

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has narrated how a Brazil returnee, Ukachukwu  Ikechukwu, was caught by its operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja , Lagos after allegedly inserting wraps of cocaine in his anus.

A statement signed by NDLEA’s spokesman Femi Babafemi on Sunday, said Ikechukwu, was arrested at the Lagos airport during the inward clearance of Ethiopian Airlines passengers from Brazil via Addis Ababa on Friday 19th September.

“He was taken for body scan which confirmed illicit drug insertion. Under excretion observation, Ukachukwu expelled five big wraps of cocaine weighing 145 grams.

“In his statement, he confessed to have bought nine wraps of the class A drug in Brazil and inserted all into his anus, a process he claimed took him nearly two hours. During his transit through Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, he said he began to experience severe anal pain and decided to remove the wraps from his body. He stated that in an attempt to meet up with his connecting flight to Nigeria, he could only manage to reinsert seven wraps, after which he flushed the remaining two wraps in a toilet.

“The suspect revealed that while on board his flight to Nigeria, he felt pressed and uncomfortable, which compelled him to use the lavatory. During the process, he expelled an additional two wraps, leaving him with only five wraps in his anus. He claimed to have been into clothing business before traveling to Brazil in 2017. In 2020, he moved to the United States, where he was arrested for  immigration offence and was detained for over a year before being deported to Nigeria in 2022.

“In March 2025, he returned to Brazil, where he currently works, having already obtained a Brazilian residence permit,” the statement said.

Meanwhile, the anti-narcotic agency said another Brazil returnee -Ofoma Sunday, was also caught at the Lagos airport after which he also excreted wraps of illicit drugs.

The statemnt said that the 46-year-old Ofoma was arrested on Tuesday 16th September 2025 at terminal 2 of the Lagos airport upon his arrival from Laos, Brazil on an Ethiopian airlines flight.

“Ofoma had left Nigeria for Brazil on 3rd September to courier the consignment to Lagos for a reward of $2,500 upon successful delivery.

“A swift follow-up operation was conducted at Eliata Hotel in Amuwo Odofin area of Lagos where Ofoma was instructed to meet Nweke Jude Chuckwudi who was (allegedly) designated to oversee the excretion of the drugs at the hotel and recover them. The 55-year-old Nweke was arrested in the process. A total of 111 wraps of heroin weighing 1.452 kilograms were egested in eight excretions by Ofoma,”  the statement claimed.

Meanwhile, a businesswoman, Okolonkwo Theresa was on Sunday 14th September taken into custody after Aviation Security Officers of FAAN in collaboration with NDLEA operatives attached to the screening point of terminal 2 of the Lagos airport arrested her for concealing illicit drug in her underwear while allegedly attempting to board a Qatar Airways flight to Doha, Qatar.

“After a thorough search, two big parcels of white crystalline substance that later tested positive to methamphetamine with a gross weight of 1.40 kilograms were recovered from her butt pad underwear. During preliminary interview with Ebere, she claimed she trades in used clothing and also operates a POS business in Enugu where she was recruited into the illicit drug business.

“At the NAHCO export shed of the Lagos airport, NDLEA operatives on Monday 15th September intercepted a consignment of food items used to conceal 40 wraps of methamphetamine with a total weight of 2.30 kilograms heading to Hong Kong via Turkish Airlines. A 59-year-old suspect, Umelo Ifeanyi Venatus, who presented the consignment as part of a consolidated cargo, has been taken into custody.

“Another consignment of illicit drug packaged for Europe was intercepted by NDLEA operatives at a courier company in Lagos on Thursday 18th September. During a thorough examination of the shipment, seven pieces of phone charger going to New Zealand were found to contain 257 grams of cocaine,” the statement added.