NDLEA nabs drug baron, recovers N9bn worth of tramadol inside VGC residence

Operatives of the anti-narcotics agency, National Drug Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have recovered over 13, 451, 466 pills of the hard drug, Tramadol, packed in 443 cartons, and said to have a street value of  N8,860,000,000 billion from the residence of a suspected drug baron in the Victoria Garden City (VGC), in the Lekki area of Lagos.

NDLEA which further identified the suspected drug baron as Ugochukwu Nsofor Chukwukadibia, said the bust was made from one of the mansions of the billionaire in the highbrow residential VGC estate.

The arrest of Chukwukadibia who is the Chairman of Autonation Motors Ltdcomes barely days after the busted 1.8kg of cocaine stashed in a warehouse in Ikorodu, Lagos, which was a record haul by the NDLEA.

A statement by the NDLEA, Sunday, said following credible intelligence, its operatives on Friday 30th September stormed the Plot A45 Road 2 home of the 52-year-old billionaire drug kingpin.

“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,” the anti-narcotics agency said.