Nsofor Kennedy Ugochukwu, a.k.a, Ugochukwu Nsofor Chukwukadibia
LAGOS – The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on 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 ex parte application filed and moved by NDLEA’s prosecutor, Umar Hussain, seeking to empower the agency to remand the defendant in its custody for an initial period of 14 days.
NDLEA has approached the court with the motion ex parte 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.
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In the affidavit, NDLEA claimed that there spondent was arrested at Plot-2-130, Road 67 VGC Housing Estate, along Epe Expressway in Lagos on September 30, 2022, in connection to the seizure of 10,598kilogrammesof tramadol, while dealing and conspiring to distribute 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 serve the interest of justice if this application is granted.
Justice Aluko after listening to the submission made by the NDLEA lawyer, and cited plethora of authorities, held that: “The application is meritorious and same is hereby granted”.
NDLEA’s Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, had in a statement said following credible intelligence, NDLEA operatives on Friday, September 30, 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.”
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