Cocaine Trafficking: NDLEA Declares Lagos Drug Baron, Muhammed Wanted

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has declared a Lagos socialite and owner of Adekaz Hotels, Ademola Kazeem wanted, over offences bordering on exportation and trafficking of illicit drugs as well as money laundering.

The NDLEA declared the socialite, popularly known as Alhaji Abdallah Kazeem Muhammed wanted following his failure to honour the agency’s invitations and an order granted to the Agency by a Federal High Court in Lagos on Monday.

A statement issued by the agency’s Spokesperson Femi Babafemi on Tuesday revealed that the suspected drug kingpin was discovered to sponsor some traffickers arrested by its operatives in their recent attempt to export cocaine to Dubai, UAE and other destinations outside Nigeria.

The statement read partly: “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.

“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.”

Consequently, operatives of the agency sealed at least six of his properties located on Lagos Island on Wednesday and 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.

Another was seized at 1 Irepodun zone, Adepoju bus stop, Ajoda Ayedun, Ibadan, Oyo state.

Similarly, operatives of the agency 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 and they include two mules: Messrs Adolphus Anayochukwu Okeke and Anayo Michael Nnanna.

Anayochukwu, 52, was arrested at the Abuja airport by NDLEA operatives with 20.75 kilograms of black liquid cocaine on March 15 upon his arrival 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 for cocaine.

Also, a Brazilian returnee Nnanna Anayo Michael, 39, was arrested at the Port Harcourt International Airport, during the inward screening of passengers on board Qatar Airline flight QR1433 from Sao Paulo, Brazil via Doha to Port Harcourt on March 29.

Anayo was arrested with 73 sachets weighing 8.15 kilograms of cocaine, which is the largest seizure of such at the airport since it began international flight operations years ago.

Further investigations of the two traffickers revealed William as the drug baron behind the cocaine cartel and led to him being on the watch list of the agency.