Federal High Court in Lagos, Southwest Nigeria has granted the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) leave to detain a Lagos-based billionaire, Nsofor Kennedy Ugochukwu, for an initial 14 days pending the conclusion of investigation for alleged drug trafficking.
Lifestyle Nigeria reports that Justice Akintoye Aluko made the order following an ex parte application by the NDLEA prosecutor, Umar Hussain.
The anti-narcotic agency backed its application with an affidavit in support of the motion ex parte deposed to by a litigation officer attached to the agency’s Directorate of Prosecution and Legal Services, Kareem Olayinka Musibau.
The affidavit averred that the suspect was arrested at Plot-2-130, Road 67 VGC Housing Estate along Epe Express Way in Lagos on September 30, 2022, in connection with the seizure of 10,598kg of Tramadol, while dealing and conspiring to distribute same to his associates in Nigeria and abroad.
NDLEA’s Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, in a statement earlier said the agency stormed Plot A45 Road 2 home of the 52-year-old on September 30, 2022 following credible intelligence.
Babafemi stated that 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.
Babafemi said, “Before his arrest, Ugochukwu, who hails from Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State, has been on the agency’s SEE 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-proof jeep have been successfully removed to the Agency’s facility.”
The NDLEA alleged that the recovered 13,451,466 pills of Tramadol 225mg were worth N8.860 billion in street value.
The NDLEA spokesman added that the arrest of Ugochukwu, who is the Chairman of Autonation Motors Limited, came barely two months after the NDLEA uncovered a clandestine methamphetamine laboratory in the residence of another drug kingpin in the estate, Chris Emeka Nzewi, who was arrested on July 30, 2022, along with a chemist, Sunday Ukah, who cooked the illicit drug for him.