The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on Tuesday said investigation on a billionaire has led to the discovery of more than N22billion worth of Tramadol.
The agency’s spokesman Femi Babafemi in a statement said the investigation led to how the suspect in October 2019 imported into Nigeria two containers, containing 1,284 cartons of Tramadol with market value of over N22billion.
Although Babafemi did not reveal the suspect’s name in the statement, he mentioned a billionaire Afam Ukatu in a statement released on April 25.
Babafemi said that the statement was to counter insinuations that NDLEA had no evidence to pin a crime on the suspect, widely believed to be the chairman of a group of firms.
According to him, after months of surveillance, the suspect was eventually arrested on board a flight to Abuja at the MM2 Terminal of the Lagos airport, Ikeja on April 13.
“Investigations revealed that he is been a major importer of large consignments of different brands and high dosages of Tramadol Hydrochloride, ranging from 120mg, 200mg, 225mg and 250mg, all of which are illicit.
“He (withheld) owns pharmaceutical and plastic manufacturing companies, which he used as a cover to import illicit drugs into Nigeria.
“The agency said in the course of investigating the N3billion Tramadol saga between the suspect and the Abba Kyari’s IRT team, its operatives have unearthed more evidences,” the statement added.
