Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have arrested another suspected billionaire drug baron, Ugochukwu Nsofor Chukwukadibia, from whose residence was seized pills of Tramadol 225mg amounting to N8,860,000,000 (Eight Billion, Eight Hundred and Sixty Million naira).
A statement issued by the anti-narcotics agency said that the arrest of the 52-year-old billionaire drug kingpin at his residence on plot A45 Road 2, Victoria Garden City, Lekki, by its operatives on Friday, 30 September, followed credible intelligence received.
TheFact Daily notes that this arrest was coming barely two months after NDLEA uncovered a methamphetamine clandestine laboratory in the residence of another suspected drug kingpin in the estate, Chris Emeka Nzewi, who was arrested on Saturday 30th July along with a chemist, Sunday Ukah, who cooked the illicit drug for him.
At least, 258.74 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine and various precursor chemicals used for the production of the toxic drug were recovered from Nzewi’s home during his arrest.
A search of Ugochukwu’s 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 same day.
Preliminary investigation showed that he had about six mansions within the VGC, one of which he used to warehouse the tramadol consignment, while he lived in the mansion located at Plot Z-130 Road 67, and another as his office.
Five exotic vehicles were located in two of his mansions, out of which two SUVs including a bulletproof jeep were successfully removed to the Agency’s facility.
Reacting to the latest drug haul, Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) commended the officers and men involved in the operation for their diligence, and appreciated Nigerians for supporting the Agency in its arduous task of ridding the country of the menace of drug abuse and illicit drug trafficking.
Marwa said, “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.”
Before his arrest, Ugochukwu, Chairman of Autonation Motors Ltd, and indegene of Ihiala local government area of Anambra State had been on the Agency’s watch list as one of those behind the tramadol drug cartel in Nigeria.
