NDLEA Arrests Ukatu, Alleged Drug Baron Behind N3billion Tramadol Connected To Abba Kyari’s Team
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on Monday announced the arrest of a Nigerian “billionaire drug baron, Chief Afam Mallinson Emmanuel Ukatu, who is the Chairman of Mallinson Group.
This was contained in a statement by Femi Babafem, Media director of the NDLEA, saying that Ukatu is behind the N3 billion Tramadol deal involving suspended DCP Abba Kyari, who was head of the Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT).
The NDLEA spokesman said that Ukatu was arrested at the Lagos Airport MM2 terminal, Ikeja-Lagos following months of surveillance and evasion of arrest.
The statement further said that UKatu is a major importer of large consignments of different brands and high dosages of Tramadol Hydrochloride, ranging from 120mg, 200mg, 225mg and 250mg.
The anti-drug agency said that Ukatu owns pharmaceutical and plastic manufacturing companies, which he allegedly used as a cover to import illicit drugs into the country.
Babafemi further said; “This is in addition to operating 103 bank accounts, most of which are used to launder money”.
The NDLEA also said that the arrested Ukatu came under watch in 2021, a year after five cartons of Tramadol 225mg were seized from his staff on May 4, 2021 that he had sent to sell to undercover police officers (unknown to Ukatu), from the then Kyari-led IRT, in Lagos.
According to Babafemi; “The price of a carton of Tramadol was negotiated at N17million each as against the then black market value that ranged between N18million and N20million a carton.
“After the arrest of Ukatu’s staff, Pius Enidom and Sunday Ibekwete, Kyari’s men were led to Mallinson’s warehouse at Ojota in Lagos where 197 additional cartons of Tramadol 225mg were seized by the IRT.
“The monetary value of the 202 cartons of Tramadol seized from Mallinson in one day was over N3 billion.
“Three weeks after the seizure, the Kyari’s IRT team transferred only 12 cartons of the Tramadol with one truck and a suspect to the Lagos Command of the NDLEA, leaving 190 cartons unaccounted for,” the NDLEA said.