Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), have arrested a wanted drug kingpin, after nine years of being on his trail.
The anti-narcotics Agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Mr. Femi Babafemi, made this known in a statement on Tuesday.
TheFact Daily reports that Onyeaghalachi Stephen Nwagwugwu, is one of two brothers who serve as major sources of illicit drug supplies in South East and South South parts of the country.
His elder brother, Eze Kaleb Stephen, who is also wanted, narrowly escaped during the Saturday, 26 November overnight operation carried out simultaneously in their two locations at Umuahia and Ntigha Okpuola community in Isiala Ngwa North LGA of Abia State, by operatives backed by men of the Nigerian Army.
In the course of the operation, one of their militiamen, Eberechi Kingsley Monday, was also arrested, while quantities of cocaine and variants of cannabis were recovered from the two houses.
The Agency also sealed two hotels, one eatery, and two mansions linked to them, and recovered three exotic vehicles from their homes as efforts are ongoing to trace more of their bank accounts and properties.
The identified hotels include: Jahlove Hotel in Mbawsi, Isiala Ngwa North LGA; Noicyhl Luxury Hotel located at Aba -Port-Harcourt expressway, Aba, and Royal Cruise Fast Food in Enugu- Port Harcourt expressway, Isiala Ngwa North LGA, all in Abia State.
According to investigations, the two notorious brothers began a career in the illicit drug business in the late 90’s as pocket dealers before they later established smoking joints/bunks in their community, Ntigha Okpuola, and subsequently grew to become barons owning hotels and houses in choice areas of Abia, Rivers and Imo State, as well as exotic cars.
Babafemi disclosed that the NDLEA had been on their trail sine 2013 when they organized a mob attack on some of the Agency’s operatives who attempted to apprehend them during a raid which left one of the several attacked operatives bedridden till date.
Babafemi further disclosed that the two drug lords equally own armed militia that guard their houses and drug stores, where they deal in assorted illicit substances such as cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine (Mpuru-miri), Loud/Arizona, amongst other sorts.
Reacting to the development, Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), commended the officers and men of the Agency involved in the operation as well as men of the military who supported them, for their professionalism.
He said it is in the interest of the fleeing baron to turn himself in before the Agency smokes him out because there would be no hiding place for him.
