NDLEA arrests another Lagos billionaire baron, uncovers drugs worth N8bn

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested another billionaire drug baron, Ugochukwu Nsofor Chukwukadibia, while a large consignment of drugs worth N8.8 billion was uncovered in a warehouse at his residence in Victoria Garden City, a highbrow residential area in Lekki, Lagos.

The spokesman of the drug bursting agency, Femi Babafemi, who disclosed this in a statement on Monday, said operatives of the agency, acting on intelligence reports and painstaking investigation that lasted for several months, stormed Chukwukadibia’s mansion on Friday where the substances hidden in hundreds of cartons were discovered.

In the statement, Babafemi, the NDLEA Director of Media said “operatives had last Friday stormed Plot A45 Road 2, home of the 52-year-old billionaire drug kingpin who is the Chairman of Autonation Motors Ltd, following credible intelligence.”

“No less than 13,451,466 pills of Tramadol 225mg worth N8,860,000,000 in street value have been recovered by operatives of the National Drug Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, from one of the mansions of a billionaire drug baron, Ugochukwu Nsofor Chukwukadibia, in the highbrow residential estate, Victoria Garden City (VGC), Lekki area of Lagos.

“The arrest of Ugochukwu, who is the Chairman of Autonation Motors Ltd, 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.

Read also:NDLEA arrests ex-footballer, Brazil returnee for drug trafficking

“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.

“Following credible intelligence, NDLEA operatives on Friday, 30th September, stormed the Plot A45 Road 2 home of the 52-year-old billionaire drug kingpin.

“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 the Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State, had been on NDLEA’s watch list as one of those behind the tramadol drug cartel in Nigeria,” Babafemi said.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now