Replacing Variable In Commandtext Fails?!?

Strangest thing is happening...
Im building a select query..when I execute the query I get the results I want...

But then I add the following code (yes am assigning the cmdText to myCommand etc, that all works):

cmdText += "LookingForIDs LIKE '%,@LFID,%' "
mycommand.Parameters.Add(New SqlParameter("@LFID", s(i)))

(I used the debugger and this code is executed)

the s() is an array of String.
Now..I would expect that the @LFID part is replaced with the value of s(i)..in this case it's "2"

Now when I execute the query...no results are found anymore....BUT when I execute the query in MS SQL Management Studio and replaced the @LFID manually with "2" it DOES work...and returns the right results

Also when I replaced the @LFID in the code with 2 so that it becomes:
cmdText += "LookingForIDs LIKE '%,2,%' " it works....

So my best guess is that for SOME reason the @LFID doesnt get replaced