NDLEA Seals Drug Barons’ 7 Mansions, Blocks N217m In Bank Account

National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has declared wanted a Lagos socialite and owner of Adekaz Hotels, Alhaji Ademola Afolabi Kazeem (aka Alhaji Abdallah Kazeem Muhammed), over offences bordering on exportation and trafficking of illicit drugs as well as money laundering.

The agency also sealed seven mansions belonging to some drug barons in Lagos and Ibadan and blocked about N217 million in bank accounts.

NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, said the decision to declare the suspect wanted followed his failure to honour NDLEA invitations and an order granted the agency by a Federal High Court in Lagos on Monday October 17, 2022.

The wanted drug kingpin was uncovered as the sponsor of some traffickers arrested by the anti-narcotics agency in their recent attempt to export cocaine to Dubai, UAE and other destinations outside Nigeria.

The NDLEA also said “soon after the arrest of one of his mules, Bolujoko Muyiwa Babalola, a Lagos BRT driver on 27th June at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja, Alhaji Kazeem who is also the chairman of Adekaz Global Integrated Services, went underground.

“Following his failure to honour invitations sent to him, the agency approached a Federal High Court in Lagos with three prayers: to attach and seal his identified properties in Lagos and Ibadan; declare him wanted and block his bank account with a cash balance of N217 million all of which were granted.”

As a result, NDLEA operatives on Wednesday October 26, 2022 sealed six of the identified properties located on Lagos Island.

They include: 105 Tokunbo Street off Broad Street, Lagos Island; 1 Abibu Oki Street off Marina, Lagos Island; 3 Abibu Oki Street off Marina, Lagos Island; 54 Palm Church Street, Lagos Island; 26 Agarawu Street, Lagos Island; and 41 Foresythe Street, Lagos Island. The other one is located at 1 Irepodun zone, Adepoju bus stop, Ajoda Ayedun, Ibadan, Oyo state.

In a related development, the NDLEA on Friday October 28, arrested another drug baron, Udemezue Obunike William, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja on his return from Brazil.

His arrest with the support of the Nigeria Immigration Service followed the earlier arrest of some drug couriers linked to Udemezue as their sponsor.

They include two mules: Messrs Adolphus Anayochukwu Okeke and Anayo Michael Nnanna.

The 52-year-old father of four children who claimed to be a businessman, Okeke Adolphus Anayochukwu, was arrested at the Abuja airport by NDLEA operatives with 20.75 kilograms of black liquid cocaine on Tuesday 15th March upon his arrival onboard Qatar Airways flight from Sao Paulo, Brazil through Doha, Qatar to Abuja.

The liquid was discovered upon search of his luggage stuffed with six smaller bags containing 32-makeup mascara, which tested positive to cocaine.