The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has secured an order of the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, to detain a Lagos-based billionaire, Nsofor Kennedy Ugochukwu, in its custody for a period of 14 days pending the conclusion of an ongoing investigation for alleged drug trafficking.
Justice Akintaye Aluko made the order today following an exparte application filed by the NDLEA Prosecutor, Mr Umar Hussain, which empowered the agency to remand the defendants in its custody for an initial period of 14 days.
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In an affidavit in support of the motion exparte deposed to by one Kareem Olayinka Musibau, a litigation officer attached to the Directorate of Prosecution and Legal Services at the NDLEA, it was submitted that the suspect was arrested at plot-2-130, Road 67 VGC Housing Estate along Epe Express Way in Lagos on the September 30 in connection to the seizure of 10,598 kilogrammes of tramadol, while dealing and conspiring to distributes same to his associates in Nigeria and other parts of the world.
“That the respondent is an illicit drug baron operating a drug trafficking organisation in collaboration with his associates in Nigeria and other parts of the world,” the affidavit read.
“That this court has the powers under the law to make the orders sought on the motion paper 9. That it will serve the interest of justice if this Application is granted.”
NDLEA’s Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, had earlier in a statement said that following credible intelligence, NDLEA operatives on Friday 30th of September, 2022 stormed Plot A45 Road 2 home of the 52-year-old billionaire drug kingpin.
Babafemi stated that 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, Ugochukwu who hails from the Ihiala local government area of Anambra State has been on the agency’s watch list as one of those behind the tramadol drug cartel in Nigeria,” he said.
“Preliminary investigation shows that he has about six mansions within the VGC, one of which he uses to warehouse the tramadol consignment, while he lives in the 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 SUVs including a bullet jeep have been successfully removed to the Agency’s facility.”
According to the spokesman, the arrest of Ugochukwu, who is the Chairman of Autonation Motors Limited, is coming barely two months after NDLEA uncovered a methamphetamine clandestine laboratory in the residence of another 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.
