NDLEA arrests suspected drug baron after 10 years manhunt

After more than 10 years manhunt, operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a suspected drug baron, Chidi Olife, in Lagos.

The NDLEA said in a statement on Saturday Olife was arrested by its Joint Task Force led by one Adeniyi Olumuyiwa on Friday.

According to the agency, the suspect escaped arrest for unlawful importation of 5.250kg of heroin from Pakistan in June 2010.

NDLEA said Olife was arrested following vital intelligence on the drug source, flight details, date, and place of arrival, weight, and mode of concealment, name, phone number and address of the recipient of the consignment and a planned controlled delivery operation coordinated by the JTF commander.

The statement read: “The careful execution of the operation led to the arrest of Oladimeji Oladotun and Alhaji Danjuma Idris while processing the documents for clearing the consignment. Both were the clearing agents hired by Chidi Olife, the owner of the drug.

READ ALSO: NDLEA arrests man with 86 wraps of cocaine at Abuja airport

“Upon being arrested, Alhaji Idris Danjuma, one of the clearing agents was used to effect the arrest of Oke Ningo who Olife contacted to receive the consignment from the agents on his behalf. Unfortunately, he escaped arrest at the point of receiving the drug as he suspected the person with the clearing agent to be an NDLEA officer.

“Subsequently, the house of Olife was traced to a street in the Ajao Estate area of Lagos but before the JTF team could get there he had escaped with all members of his house due to the failed arrest of Oke Ningo.

“The undaunted JTF team of officers placed surveillance on him. Their resilience yielded fruit 10 years after as Chidi Olife was eventually arrested and he is currently cooling his heels in NDLEA’s custody while a manhunt for Oke Ningo, his criminal associate continues.”

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