The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a drug baron, Ugochukwu Nsofor Chukwukadibia, in the VGC area of Lagos, OduNews reports.
The agency also recovered about 13.4 million pills of tramadol 225mg worth N8.8billion in street value from one of the mansions of the drug lord.
NDLEA’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, in a statement, yesterday, said the arrest of Ugochukwu, the Chairman of Autonation Motors Limited, followed credible intelligence, after which NDLEA operatives on Friday, September 30, stormed Plot A45 Road 2 home of the 52-year-old billionaire drug kingpin.
He said a search of the expansive mansion led to the discovery of 443 cartons of tramadol Hydrochloride 225mg, which contains 13, 451, 466 pills of the drug, while some cartons were already burnt in a fire incident in the house the same day.
Before his arrest, Chukwukadibia, who hails from Anambra State had been on the Agency’s watch list as one of those behind the tramadol drug cartel in Nigeria.
According to NDLEA, preliminary investigation showed that he has about six mansions within the VGC, one of which he uses to warehouse the tramadol consignment, while he lives in one at Plot Z-130 Road 67 and another as his office.
Five exotic vehicles have also been located in two of his mansions, out of which two Sports Utility Vans (SUVs), including a bulletproof jeep have been successfully removed to the Agency’s facility.
Babafemi stressed that Chukwukadibia’s arrest is coming barely two months after NDLEA uncovered a clandestine methamphetamine clandestine laboratory in the residence of another drug kingpin in the estate, Chris Emeka Nzewi.
Nzewi was arrested on Saturday, July 30, along with a chemist, Sunday Ukah, who cooked the illicit drug for him.
At least 258.74 kilogrammes of crystal methamphetamine and various precursor chemicals used for the production of the toxic drug were recovered from Nzewi’s home during his arrest.
In his reaction, Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (Retd), commended the officers and men involved in the operation for their diligence.
Marwa also extolled Nigerians for supporting the Agency in its task of ridding the country of the menace of drug abuse and illicit drug trafficking.
“I’ll like to reassure Nigerians and other stakeholders wherever they are located across the country and beyond of our preparedness to work with them on this onerous task of saving our people from the drug scourge.
“This partnership is a further warning to the drug barons and cartels that there is no hiding place for them anymore because we remain on their trail and we’ll always get them,” Marwa said.
