NDLEA declares notorious drug baron wanted, intercepts N6.5 billion worth of heroin 

Joy Anyim

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), have declared a notorious drug baron,Tony Chidi Onwurolu, wanted, this is as narcotic operatives intercepted large quantity of heroin valued over N6.5billion,  allegedly owned by the suspect in Lagos.

It was gathered that the consignment said to have weighed 26.150kilograms, was discovered at the SAHCO shed of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos.

Preliminary findings has it that the illicit drug arrived Lagos in 25 parcels from South Africa through an Airpeace Airline flight on June 30, and was detained for screening following reasonable suspicion of the content of the consignment.

According to the spokesperson for the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, a follow up operation was conducted on July 1, as operatives of the MMIA command trailed the driver and a clearing agent that were assigned to deliver the consignment to the house of a baron, Tony Chidi Onwurolu at No. 132 Lateef Adegboyega Street, off Ago palace way by Grandmate bus stop Okota, Lagos.

Speaking via a statement on Sunday, Babafemi said during the follow up operation, Onwurolu who obviously mounted a counter-surveillance around his neighbourhood fled his home before the arrival of the team of operatives who stormed his residence.

He said they were however able to search his home and recovered a number of documents to establish his true identity.

While also speaking on the development, the Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) said: “I have  directed that the fleeing drug baron, Tony Chidi Onwurolu be declared wanted immediately and his details submitted to Interpol for tracking across the world.

“The Agency’s Directorate of Assets and Financial Investigations as well as the Directorate of Intelligence, have been directed to deploy their networks to fast track the arrest of Onwurolu.

“In view of the volume of heroin brought into country by the fleeing baron, the Agency would deploy all available mechanisms, locally and internationally, to track him and bring him to face charges in the law court.

“Those who have been on the run for 10 years and some for five years, we have since tracked them and they are now facing charges while cooling their heels behind bars. The latest one won’t be an exception, because he can only run but cant hide for too long before we get him.”

Similarly, operatives of the Command also intercepted a 4.3kg of skunk imported from Canada.

The package, which reportedly came on Ethiopian Airline, was concealed in nine packs of cereals.

Babafemi added that on July 9, one Babatunde Usman Omogbolahan Bakare was intercepted by NDLEA operatives with 550grams of cannabis and 50grams of Rohypnol (Flunitrazepam) concealed in six jerry cans of local herbal mixtures called Gabo at SAHCO export shed, MMIA, Ikeja.

Highlighting other achievements of the agency the spokesperson said: “The drug was detected during outward clearance of Cargo going to Dubai. Earlier on Tuesday July 6, operatives f the MMIA Command, conducted a follow-up operation at Gate 2, Ladipo Oluwole Street, opposite Guinness Bottling Company, Ikeja, where one Animashaun Kabiru was apprehended for questioning about a bag containing bitter cola, which was brought for export to the UK.

“When the bag of bitter kola was searched, it was discovered that the bitter kola were mixed with some wraps of a substance suspected to be illicit drug. Thirty-six wraps of the suspected substance later tested positive for Cocaine weighing 600grams.

“In a related development, an Uber driver, Lawal Tunde Rasheed, arrested on June 8, in connection with the seizure of a cocaine consignment has been let off the hook following his cooperation that led to the arrest of the real owner of the drug, Mr. Egbo Emmanuel Maduka, who in his statement accepted ownership of the consignment and absolved Lawal of any complicity.”

While commending officers and men of the MMIA Command of the Agency for the series of seizures and arrests in the past week, Gen. Marwa urged  them not to rest on their oars, saying, “we must all remain fully prepared and proactive at all times if we have to battle this scourge to a standstill.”