National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested 58-year-old fugitive drug lord Uzoma Valentine Ilomuanya, topping the wanted lists of both NDLEA and British authorities for over 15 years, in a major crackdown on international drug trafficking.
NDLEA spokesperson, Mr Femi Babafemi, confirmed the arrest in a statement issued Wednesday, noting Ilomuanya was nabbed Monday, February 23, 2026, at a hideout in Lagos through a high-stakes, coordinated operation by the agency’s Special Operations Unit.
The arrest ends a prolonged cat-and-mouse chase, marked by Ilomuanya’s extensive drug crimes in Nigeria and the United Kingdom.
First nabbed in February 2003 in the UK for drug trafficking, he was sentenced to nine years but released after two years on appeal. Undeterred, he faced another UK arrest in July 2011 for drug offences, jumped administrative bail, and fled to Nigeria.
In November 2018, NDLEA operatives arrested him in Nigeria after raiding two clandestine methamphetamine labs—one at his Obinugwu, Orlu LGA country home in Imo State, and another at No. 3 Barrister Declan Uzoma Close, Lagos—seizing 77.960kg of methamphetamine and production equipment. Charged before a Federal High Court in Lagos, he jumped bail and vanished.
NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), hailed the operation as a “significant breakthrough” in the war against drug cartels.
“This arrest warns those hiding behind borders that they cannot escape justice—whether jumping bail in London or building labs in villages, NDLEA’s long arm will catch up,” Marwa said.
“We are committed to international collaborations to prevent Nigeria from sheltering global drug lords. Under our watch, we will intensify intelligence-led operations, deepen partnerships, and dismantle trafficking networks.”
Marwa praised the Special Operations Unit for their professionalism, resilience, and diligence in tracking the fugitive, reaffirming NDLEA’s resolve to safeguard national health, security, and future.
