NDLEA Arrests Nigerian Billionaire Over ₦3bn Linked To Abba Kyari, Others

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have apprehended Chief Afam Mallinson Emmanuel Ukatu.

The Nigerian ‘billionaire drug baron’ is the Chairman of Mallinson Group.

The spokesman of the Agency, Femi Babafemi in a statement released in Monday disclosed that Ukatu was behind the ₦3 billion deal involving suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari.

NDLEA apprehended the billionaire at the Murtala Mohammed terminal in Ikeja after months of surveillance and evading arrest.

According to the drug law enforcement agency, Ukatu has been a major importer of Hydrochloride, ranging from 120mg, 200mg, 225mg and 250mg.

The suspect allegedly uses his pharmaceutical and plastic manufacturing companies to import illicit drugs into Nigeria.

Babafemi said, “This is in addition to operating 103 bank accounts, most of which are used to launder money.”

The billion has been under watch since 2021, after five cartons of 225mg were seized from his staff on 4th May 2021.

Ukatu had directed his staff to sell the drugs to undercover police officers unknowing to him that they are men of the Kyari-led Intelligence Response Team, in Lagos.

A further report had it that a carton of was sold for 17 million each which against the black market price which stands at N18million and N20million per carton.

Kyari’s men, Pius Enidom and Sunday Ibekwete were led to Mallinson’s warehouse after Ukatu’s staff was arrested.

The IRT seized 197 additional cartons of 225mg.

The value of the seized by men of IRT in one day was over N3 billion.

However, three weeks after the drugs were seized, Kyari’s men transferred only 12 cartons of the with one truck and a suspect to the Lagos Command of the NDLEA, leaving 190 cartons unaccounted for.