FUGITIVE DRUG KINGPIN ARRESTED
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested and repatriated a 52-year-old suspected drug kingpin who had been on the run for more than two years.
The suspect was declared wanted after NDLEA operatives intercepted 49.70 kilograms of heroin at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, in February 2024—the largest single heroin seizure ever recorded at the airport.
Investigations revealed that he fled to Mozambique, where he allegedly operated a hotel as a cover for his activities, while moving between Mozambique and Nigeria through the Benin Republic in a bid to evade arrest.
Acting on intelligence and in collaboration with INTERPOL, he was arrested at the airport in Cotonou, Benin Republic, on September 2, 2026. He was subsequently handed over to NDLEA operatives and returned to Nigeria on September 4.
The agency also disclosed that the suspect’s wife was among those arrested in connection with the drug syndicate, while 107 bank accounts and properties linked to the cartel have been frozen or forfeited.
Chairman of the NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd.), described the arrest as a major breakthrough in the agency’s fight against drug trafficking, warning that no matter how long it takes, fugitives involved in the illicit drug trade will be tracked down and brought to justice.
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