Anti-narcotic Agency Confiscates Multi-Million-Naira Mansion

Salihu Ali, Abuja.

Last updated Dec 18, 2023

Nigeria’s anti-narcotic agency, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has confiscated a multi-million-naira mansion located at K-5A/2 Road 14, Victoria Garden City Estate in the Lekki area of Lagos State.

The building was used as a clandestine laboratory for the production of methamphetamine by a convicted drug baron, Okenwa Chris Nzewi, prior to his successful prosecution and conviction in court by the NDLEA.

A press statement by the agency’s spokesperson, Mr Femi BabaFemi, said, Okenwa was arrested along with his associate, Sunny Okeh Ukah, on 30th of July, 2022 and subsequently arraigned on a four-count charge in the Federal High Court, Lagos.

They both pleaded guilty on 17th July, 2023, while they were convicted and sentenced to four and three years’ imprisonment each, with an option of a fine of four million naira (N4,000,000) and three million naira (N3,000,000) respectively in addition to community service for four and three weeks each.

He said, the victim’s vehicle, marked EKY 496 DJ, was equally forfeited to the federal government.

To further deny him of enjoying the proceeds from his criminal activity, the NDLEA filed a civil forfeiture charge against the building used as a clandestine laboratory at the Federal High Court Lagos, which initially granted an interim forfeiture order that elapsed on 6th of December, 2023 before the final forfeiture on 7th of December, 2023.

Convicted baron loses VGC mansion, jeep as NDLEA arrests grandma for drugs in Lagos

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Read more at:https://t.co/4T6FSXU21M pic.twitter.com/pZnpFMidfT

— NDLEA NIGERIA (@ndlea_nigeria) December 17, 2023

Meanwhile, the NDLEA operatives in Lagos State on Friday, 15th of December 2023, arrested a 75-year-old grandma, Mrs. Sekinat Soremekun, for dealing in illicit drugs.

BabaFemi noted that at the time of her arrest in Oshodi area of Lagos State, quantities of cannabis and litres of codeine syrup were recovered from her.

She claimed her son, Segun, who is now at large, supplied her the illicit substances, which she retailed.

Similar arrests and seizures were also made in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Imo, Edo, Borno, Ogun, Zamfara, and Cross River States.

The Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended the officers in the affected commands for the arrests and seizures of the past week, as well as those of the Directorate of Prosecution and Legal Services for their diligent prosecution of cases in court.

He urged them and their compatriots across all formations of the agency to intensify the offensive action against drug cartels as the yuletide season approaches.

He also urged them to maintain an equal balance with their drug demand reduction efforts.

Meanwhile, the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA), an advocacy campaign of the agency, continued in equal measure in schools, markets, and worship places across the country in the past week.

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