In continuation of its nationwide clampdown against illicit drugs, operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have recovered over 13 million pills of Tramadol 225mg worth N8.8 billion from a mansion in Victoria Garden City (VGC), Lekki, Lagos.
The operatives also arrested 52-year-old alleged drug baron, Ugochukwu Nsofor Chukwukadibia, said to be the owner of the mansion where the drugs were warehoused.
This was confirmed in a statement issued by the Director, Media and Advocacy of the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, and made available to newsmen.
He said Ugochukwu, who’s the chairman, AutoNation Motors Ltd, was arrested following credible intelligence that led operatives to raid his Plot A45 Road 2 residence on Friday, September 30.
The statement partly read, “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 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 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.
“Reacting to the latest drug haul, Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig.-Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (Retd) commended the officers and men involved in the operation for their diligence while also appreciating Nigerians for supporting the agency in its arduous task of ridding the country of the menace of drug abuse and illicit drug trafficking.”
The development came barely a week after the NDLEA uncovered a massive cocaine warehouse in the Ikorodu area of Lagos and two months after 258.74 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine and various precursor chemicals used for the production of the toxic drug were recovered from the residence of another alleged kingpin, Chris Emeka Nzewi, also in VGC.
