The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has apprehended a 58-year-old fugitive drug lord, Uzoma Valentine Ilomuanya, who has been on the wanted list of both the NDLEA and British authorities for over 15 years.
Ilomuanya was apprehended at a location in Lagos on Monday following a well-coordinated operation by officers of the Agency’s Special Operations Unit.
His arrest ends a long-awaited chase by law enforcement agencies following a trail of drug-related crimes across Nigeria and the United Kingdom, which highlight his persistent involvement in the global narcotics trade.
Ilomuanya was apprehended and convicted in 2003 in the United Kingdom for drug trafficking and sentenced to nine years in prison but was later released after two years upon appeal. He was again arrested in 2011 for drug-related offences in the UK and granted administrative bail, but he jumped bail and fled to Nigeria.
In November, the drug kingpin was again arrested in Nigeria following the discovery of two clandestine methamphetamine laboratories at his country home in Imo State, southeast Nigeria.
Officers recovered 77.960 kilograms of methamphetamine and extensive production equipment. He was subsequently charged before a Federal High Court in Lagos, after which he jumped court bail and has been on the run since.
Reacting to the successful operation leading to Ilomuanya’s arrest, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), described the development as a significant breakthrough in the agency’s relentless war against drug cartels.
He assured that the NDLEA will continue to strengthen intelligence-led operations and deepen international cooperation to ensure that perpetrators of illicit drug trade are brought to justice.
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