THE National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has declared a Lagos hotel owner, identified as Ademola Afolabi Kazeem, wanted for trafficking of illicit drugs.
In a statement on Tuesday, NDLEA Director, Media and Advocacy Femi Babafemi said Kazeem sponsored drug exportation to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and other countries.
“The decision to declare the suspect wanted followed his failure to honour NDLEA invitations and an order granted the Agency by a Federal High Court in Lagos on Monday, 17th October 2022.
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“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,” the statement said.
Kazeem had gone into hiding after one of his accomplices, Bolujoko Muyiwa Babalola, was arrested at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos.
NDLEA spokesman Babafemi also confirmed that one other suspect, Udemezue Obunike William, has been arrested for drug trafficking in Abuja.
“In a related development, the Agency on Friday, 28th October, arrested another drug baron, Udemezue Obunike William at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja on his return from Brazil. His arrest with the support of the Nigeria Immigration Service followed the earlier arrest of some drug couriers linked to Udemezue as their sponsor.”
The couriers were arrested in Abuja and Port Harcourt for possession of cocaine, and investigations by the NDLEA revealed Williams as their sponsor.
Ijeoma Opara is a journalist with The ICIR. Reach her via vopara@icirnigeria.org or @ije_le on Twitter.
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