Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have successfully apprehended Uzoma Valentine Ilomuanya, a fugitive drug lord who has been on the agency’s wanted list for over 15 years.
In a statement released on Wednesday, NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi disclosed that the 58-year-old suspect was arrested in Lagos on Monday, February 23.
The arrest was the result of a “high-stakes, well-coordinated operation by officers of the special operations unit of the agency.”
According to the NDLEA, Ilomuanya’s history of drug-related offenses spans decades and multiple countries.
Babafemi revealed that the suspect was first arrested in the United Kingdom in February 2003, where he was convicted of drug trafficking and sentenced to nine years in prison. However, he was released after serving two years following a successful appeal.
“Not done with crime, he was again arrested in the UK in July 2011 for drug-related offences. He was granted administrative bail but jumped jurisdiction and fled to Nigeria,” the statement read.
Despite his previous convictions, Ilomuanya allegedly continued his illicit activities upon returning to Nigeria.
In November 2018, NDLEA operatives arrested him after discovering two clandestine methamphetamine laboratories linked to him.
One laboratory was found at his country home in Obinugwu, Orlu Local Government Area of Imo State, while the other was located at his residence on Barrister Declan Uzoma Close in Lagos.
During the 2018 raids, officers recovered extensive production equipment and 77.960 kilograms of methamphetamine.
He was subsequently charged before a Federal High Court in Lagos, but he jumped bail once again and had been on the run until his recent capture.
Reacting to the successful operation, the Chairman of the NDLEA, Buba Marwa, stated that Ilomuanya’s arrest serves as a “stern warning” to individuals who believe they can evade justice by crossing international borders or going into hiding.
Marwa reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to strengthening intelligence-led operations and deepening international cooperation to combat drug trafficking globally.
