NDLEA busts billionaire drug baron, recovers mansions, seizes N8bn tramadol

Segun Adewale

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested a suspected billionaire drug baron and Chairman of Automation Motors Limited, Ugochukwu Chukwukadibia.

The spokesman for the agency, Femi Babafemi, in a statement on Monday, said one of Chukwukadibia’s six mansions at the Victoria Garden City, Lekki, Lagos State, was raided by operatives of the agency, leading to the discovery of 13 million pills of tramadol 225mg worth N8.8bn in street value.

The spokesman said the bust happened barely two months after the agency uncovered a methamphetamine laboratory in the residence of another drug kingpin on the estate, Chris Nzewi, who was arrested on July 30 along with a chemist, Sunday Ukah, who cooked the illicit drug for him.

The statement read in part, “Following credible intelligence, NDLEA operatives on Friday, September 30, 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, Ugochukwu, who hails from 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. Preliminary investigation shows that he has about six mansions within 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-proof Jeep, have been successfully removed to the agency’s facility.”

Reacting to the latest drug haul, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Marwa (retd), commended the officers and men involved in the operation for their diligence, while also appreciating Nigerians for supporting the agency in its task of ridding the country of drug abuse and illicit drug trafficking.

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