NDLEA arrests kingpin behind cocaine shipments

…Declares Lagos Drug Baron, Adekaz Wanted,

National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on Friday, arrested adrug baron, Udemezue Obunike William at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuj, on his return from Brazil.

His arrest with the support of the Nigeria Immigration Service, followed the earlier arrest of some drug couriers linked to Udemezue as their sponsor.

They include two mules: Messrs Adolphus Anayochukwu Okeke and Anayo Michael Nnanna.

The 52-year-old father of four, who claimed to be a businessman, Okeke Adolphus Anayochukwu, was arrested at the Abuja airport by NDLEA operatives with 20.75 kilograms of black liquid cocaine on Tuesday, 15th March, upon his arrival onboard Qatar Airways flight from Sao Paulo, Brazil through Doha, Qatar to Abuja. The liquid was discovered upon search of his luggage stuffed with six smaller bags containing 32-makeup mascara, which tested positive to cocaine.

Meanwhile the agency has declared wanted Lagos socialite and owner of Adekaz Hotels, Alhaji Ademola Afolabi Kazeem, popularly known as Alhaji Abdallah Kazeem Muhammed over exportation offences, trafficking of illicit drugs and  money laundering.

This followed his failure to honour NDLEA invitations and an order granted the agency by a Federal High Court in Lagos, on Monday, 17th October, 2022.

The drug kingpin was uncovered as the sponsor of some traffickers arrested by the anti-narcotics agency in their recent attempt to export cocaine to Dubai, UAE and other destinations outside Nigeria.

After  arresting  of one of his mules, Bolujoko Muyiwa Babalola, a Lagos BRT driver on 27th June,  at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Alhaji Ademola Kazeem, who is also the Chairman, Adekaz Global Integrated Services went underground.

Failing  to honour invitations sent to him, the agency approached a Federal High Court in Lagos with three prayers: to attach and seal his identified properties in Lagos and Ibadan; declare him wanted and block his bank account with a cash balance of N217,000,000.00, all of which were granted.

Based on this, NDLEA operatives on Wednesday, 26th October, 2022, sealed six of the identified properties located on Lagos Island. They include: 105 Tokunbostreet off Broad Street, Lagos Island; 1 Abibu Oki Street off Marina, Lagos Island; 3 Abibu Oki Street off Marina, Lagos Island; 54 Palm Church Street, Lagos Island; 26 Agarawu Street, Lagos Island; and 41 Foresythe Street, Lagos Island.

The other one is located at 1 Irepodun zone, Adepoju bus stop, AjodaAyedun, Ibadan, Oyo state.

On the other hand, a Brazilian returnee, Nnanna Anayo Michael, 39, was arrested at the Port Harcourt International Airpor (PHIA), during the inward screening of passengers on board Qatar Airline flight QR1433 from Sao Paulo, Brazil via Doha to Port Harcourt on Tuesday, 29th March. Nnanna was arrested with 73 sachets weighing 8.15 kilograms of cocaine, which is the largest seizure of such at the airport, since it began international flight operations years ago.

Further investigations of the two traffickers revealed Udemezue Obunike William as the drug baron behind the cocaine cartel. As a result, he was watch-listed and arrested upon his return from Brazil on Friday, 28th October.

In his reaction, Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) commended the officers and men of the agency involved in the clinical investigation that led to the unmasking of the two barons.

He said gone are the days when drug kingpins can hide behind traffickers and remain faceless, warning that the new NDLEA will continue to unravel them one after the other if they fail to back out of the criminal trade.