NDLEA Declares Lagos Socialite Wanted For Money Laundering, Drug Trafficking

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has declared Lagos socialite and owner of Adekaz Hotels, Ademola Kazeem wanted over drug trafficking and money laundering.

NDLEA Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi in a statement on Tuesday said the decision to declare the suspect wanted followed his failure to honour invitations and an order granted the agency by a Federal High Court in Lagos on Monday, October 17, 2022.

The NDLEA alleged that the suspect is a drug kingpin and the sponsor of some traffickers arrested during recent attempts to export cocaine to Dubai, the United Arab Emirates and other destinations outside Nigeria.

“Soon after the arrest of one of his mules, Bolujoko Muyiwa Babalola, a Lagos BRT driver on 27th June at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja, Alhaji Ademola Kazeem who is also the Chairman of Adekaz Global Integrated Services, went underground,” Babafemi said

“Following his failure to honour invitations sent to him, the Agency approached a Federal High Court in Lagos with three prayers: to attach and seal his identified properties in Lagos and Ibadan; declare him wanted and block his bank account with a cash balance of Two Hundred and Seventeen Million Naira (N217,000,000.00), all of which were granted.

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“As a result, NDLEA operatives on Wednesday 26th October 2022 sealed six of the identified properties located on Lagos Island. They include: 105 Tokunbo Street off Broad Street, Lagos Island; 1 Abibu Oki street off Marina, Lagos Island; 3 Abibu Oki street off Marina, Lagos Island; 54 Palm Church street, Lagos Island; 26 Agarawu street, Lagos Island; and 41 Foresythe street, Lagos Island. The other one is located at 1 Irepodun zone, Adepoju bus stop, Ajoda Ayedun, Ibadan, Oyo state.”

In a related development, the NDLEA said it arrested another drug baron, Udemezue William on Friday at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja upon his return from Brazil.

His arrest, according to the statement was successful with the support of the Nigeria Immigration Service followed the earlier arrest of some drug couriers linked to Udemezue as their sponsor.They include two mules;Messrs Adophuls Anayochukwu Okeke and Anayo Micheal Nnana.

The 52-year old father of four children who claimed to be a businessman,Okeke Adophuls Anayochukwu was arrested at the Abuja airport by NDLEA operatives with 20.75kgm of black liquid cocaine on Tuesday 15th March upon his arrival at the Abuja airport onboard Qatar Airways flight from Sao Paulo,Brazil through Doha, Qatar to Abuja.

“The liquid was discovered upon search of his luggage stuffed with six smaller bags containing 32 makeup mascara,which tested positive to cocaine.

On the other hand, a Brazilian returnee Nnanna Anayo Micheal,39 was arrested at the Portharcourt International Airport during the inward screening of passengers on board Qatar Airline flight QR1433 from Sao Paulo, Brazil via Doha to Porthacourt on Tuesday 29th March.

“Nnanna was arrested 73 sachets weighing 8.15kgms of cocaine,which is the largest seizure of such at the airport,since it began international flight operations years ago.”

Reacting,the Chairman/CEO NDLEA,Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa(Retd) commended the officers and men of the agency involved in the clinical investigation that led to the unmasking the two barons.

“Gone are the days when drug kingpins can hide behind traffickers and remain faceless,”he said

He, therefore,warned that the new NDLEA would continue to unravel them one after the other if they fail to back out of the criminal trade.

NPO