Nsofor Kennedy Ugochukwu, also known as Ugochukwu Nsofor Chukwukadibia, a billionaire from Lagos, has been taken into custody by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and will remain there for a total of 14 days while an ongoing investigation into alleged drug trafficking is completed.
Following an exparte plea submitted by NDLEA prosecutor Mr. Umar Hussain authorizing the organization to hold the defendants in its custody for an initial 14 days, Justice Akintoye Aluko issued the ruling.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency’s litigation officer Kareem Olayinka Musibau testified in an affidavit in support of the Motion Exparte that the suspect was apprehended at plot 2-130, Road 67 VGC Housing Estate along Epe Express Way in Lagos on the 30th day of September 2022 in connection with the seizure of 10,598 kilograms of tramadol, while dealing and conspiring to distribute the drug.
“That the respondent is an illegal drug tycoon who, along with his partners in Nigeria and other parts of the world, runs a drug trafficking organization.
“That granting this application will further the interests of justice.”
Femi Babafemi, the director of media and advocacy for the NDLEA, had earlier stated in a statement that NDLEA agents stormed the billionaire drug lord’s residence at Plot A45 Road 2 on Friday, September 30, 2022, on the basis of reliable intelligence.
According to Babafemi, a check of the large estate turned up 443 boxes of Tramadol Hydrochloride 225mg, totaling 13,451,466 pills, some of which were already burned in a fire incident.
“Ugochukwu, who is from the Ihiala local government area of Anambra State, was on the agency’s watch list before he was arrested because he was thought to be a part of the tramadol drug cartel in Nigeria.
According to preliminary research, he owns six houses in the VGC, two of which he uses as offices and one of which he uses to store the tramadol consignment. He resides in the mansion at Plot Z-130 Road 67. Two of his houses were also home to five exotic cars, of which two SUVs and a bullet jeep were successfully transferred to the agency’s facilities, according to Babafemi.
A methamphetamine clandestine laboratory was found in the home of another drug lord in the neighborhood, Chris Emeka Nzewi, who was apprehended on Saturday, July 30, 2022, along with a chemist named Sunday Ukah who prepared the illegal drug for him, according to Babafemi. Ugochukwu is the chairman of Autonation Motors Limited.
