Court Grants NDLEA Permission To Detain VGC Billionaire Arrested With Tramadol Worth N8.8bn
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Thursday, secured an order of a Lagos Federal High Court, to detain a Lagos-based billionaire, Nsofor Kennedy Ugochukwu, a.k.a, Ugochukwu Nsofor Chukwukadibia, in its custody for a period of 14 days, pending the conclusion of ongoing investigation.
The court presided over by Justice Akintayo Aluko, made the order, sequel to an exparte application filed and moved by the NDLEA’s Prosecutor, Barrister Umar Hussain, seeking to empowered the Agency to remand the defendant in its custody for an initial period of 14 days.
NDLEA has approached with the court with the motion Exparte attached with an affidavit deposed to by one Kareem Olayinka Musibau, a litigation officer attached to the agency’s Directorate of Prosecution and Legal Services.
In the affidavit, NDLEA claimed that the respondent was arrested at plot-2-130, Road 67 VGC Housing Estate along Epe Express Way in Lagos on September 30, 2022, in connection to the seizure of 10,598 kilograms of tramadol, while dealing and conspiring to distributes same to his associates in Nigeria and Other parts of the world.
The deponent stated that the respondent is an illicit drug baron operating a Drug Trafficking Organisation in collaboration with his associates in Nigeria and other part of the world. And that the court has the powers under the law to make the orders sought on the motion paper.
The deponent averred that it will serves the interest of justice if this Application is granted.
Justice Aluko after listened to the submission made by the NDLEA lawyer, and cited several plethora of authorities, held that: “the application is meritorious and same is hereby grant”.
NDLEA’s Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, had in statement said following credible intelligence, NDLEA operatives on Friday 30th September stormed the Plot A45 Road 2 home of the 52-year-old billionaire drug kingpin.
He 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 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,” Babafemi said.
Babafemi said the arrest of Ugochukwu, who is the Chairman of Autonation Motors Limited, is coming barely two months after NDLEA uncovered a methamphetamine clandestine laboratory in the residence of another drug kingpin in the estate, Chris Emeka Nzewi, who was arrested on Saturday 30th July along with a chemist, Sunday Ukah, who cooked the illicit drug for him.
