NDLEA commander at the Lagos Airport, Mr Hamza Umar, gave the name of the suspect as Ajaero Okechukwu Kingsley.
The wraps of cocaine were said to have weighed 850 grammes.
The arrest and seizure took place at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos during the inward screening of passengers on a Qatar Airline flight.
“We have apprehended a 29-year old fashion designer on his way from Sao Paulo with cocaine. The suspect who hails from Abia State excreted 44 wraps of substances that tested positive for cocaine weighing 85 grammes,” Hamza stated.
The suspect in his statement blamed his arrest on operational mistake on the part of his business partner.
“I am a fashion designer by profession. I went to Brazil two years ago in search of better working conditions. This is my first time of trafficking in drugs and I got involved through friends,”Ajaero was quoted as saying.
“In line with my plan, I was expecting 30,000 euros as my profit. My business partner was to collect the drug from me while on transit in Qatar but he failed to show-up. I was compelled to come to Nigeria with the drugs but I excreted 30 on board the aircraft.”