By Peter Omopo
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested a 58-year-old suspected drug kingpin, Uzoma Valentine Ilomuanya, who had been on the wanted list of both Nigerian and British authorities for over 15 years.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by the agency’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, Ilomuanya was apprehended on February 23, 2026, at a location in Lagos following what was described as a high-level operation by the NDLEA’s Special Operations Unit.
The agency said the arrest brings to an end a prolonged pursuit linked to Ilomuanya’s alleged involvement in drug trafficking activities spanning Nigeria and the United Kingdom.
According to the statement, Ilomuanya was first arrested in February 2003 in the UK, where he was convicted for drug trafficking and sentenced to nine years in prison. He was, however, released after serving two years following a successful appeal.
He was reportedly arrested again in the UK in July 2011 for drug-related offences and granted administrative bail but later absconded and fled to Nigeria.
The NDLEA disclosed that he was rearrested in Nigeria in November 2018 after operatives uncovered two clandestine methamphetamine laboratories at his residence in Obinugwu, Orlu Local Government Area of Imo State, and at a property in Lagos. Officers recovered 77.960 kilograms of methamphetamine along with equipment used for production.
He was subsequently charged before a Federal High Court in Lagos but allegedly jumped bail and remained at large until his latest arrest.
Reacting to the development, NDLEA Chairman, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), described the arrest as a major breakthrough in the agency’s fight against drug cartels.
Marwa said the arrest demonstrates that individuals involved in illicit drug activities cannot evade justice indefinitely, whether by fleeing across borders or operating clandestine laboratories.
He reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to strengthening intelligence-led operations and international collaboration to prevent Nigeria from being used as a haven for global drug traffickers.
The NDLEA chairman also commended the officers involved in the operation for their persistence and professionalism, stressing that the agency remains resolute in dismantling drug trafficking networks operating within the country.
