- Safiu Kehinde
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has nabbed a 58-year-old fugitive drug lord, Uzoma Valentine Ilomuanya, who has been on the wanted list of the agency and the United Kingdom authorities for over 15 years.
Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA Director, Media and Advocacy, made this known in a statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja.
In what he described as a significant blow to international drug trafficking network, Babafemi said that Ilomuanya was apprehended at a location in Lagos on Monday following a high-stakes well-coordinated operation by officers of a Special Operations Unit of the Agency.
He said that the wanted drug lord arrest ended a long-standing “cat-and-mouse” game with the law following his long history of drug related crimes across Nigeria and the United Kingdom, which highlighted a persistent involvement in global narcotics trade.
He also said that the suspect was first arrested in February 2003 and convicted in the United Kingdom for drug trafficking; sentenced to nine years but was later released after two years in jail upon appeal.
“Not done with crime, he was again arrested in the UK in July 2011 for drug-related offences. He was granted administrative bail but jumped jurisdiction and fled to Nigeria.
“Typical of a recidivist, he was in November 2018 arrested in Nigeria by NDLEA operatives following the discovery of two clandestine methamphetamine laboratories in his Obinugwu, Orlu LGA country home in Imo.
“Also, at his No. 3 Barrister Declan Uzoma Close Lagos house, officers recovered 77.960 kilograms of substance suspected to be methamphetamine and extensive production equipment.
“He was subsequently charged before a Federal High Court, Lagos, and he jumped court bail and has since been on the run since then,” he said.
Reacting to the successful operation leading to the arrest of the wanted drug lord, the NDLEA Chairman, retired, Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa described the development as a significant breakthrough in the agency’s relentless war against drug cartels.
According to him, this arrest serves as a stern warning to those who think they can hide behind borders to escape justice.
“Whether you jump bail in London or set up clandestine labs in your village, the long arm of the NDLEA will eventually catch up with those who choose to undermine the health, security, and future of our nation.
“We remain committed to our international collaborations to ensure that Nigeria is not used as a sanctuary by global drug lords.
“The NDLEA under our watch will continue to strengthen intelligence-led operations, deepen international cooperation, and ensure that those involved in illicit drug trade are brought to justice.”
Marwa commended the officers of the Special Operations Unit for their professionalism, resilience, and diligence in tracking down the fugitive, stressing that the Agency remained unwavering in its commitment to dismantling drug trafficking networks operating within Nigeria.