Story from Kenneth AFOR, Lagos
About 26.15kilograms worth over N6.5 billion has been intercepted at the Skyway Aviation Handling Company PLC (SAHCO) shed of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja, Lagos by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, (NDLEA).
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In a statement issued on Sunday by Femi Babafemi Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, the illicit drug arrived in Lagos in 25 parcels from South Africa through an Air peace Airline flight on June 30, 2021, and was subjected to screening following reasonable suspicion of the content of the consignment.
According to the statement, narcotic officers of the airport command trailed the driver and the clearing agent assigned to deliver the consignment to the house of a baron, Tony Chidi Onwurolu at No. 132 Lateef Adegboyega Street, off Ago palace way by Grandmate bus stop Okota, Lagos.
The said drug baron is currently on the run.
“During the follow-up operation, Tony Chidi Onwurolu who obviously mounted a counter-surveillance around his neighbourhood fled his home before the arrival of the team of operatives who stormed his residence. They were however able to search his home and recovered a number of documents to establish his true identity,” Babafemi stated.
Meanwhile, the Chairman and Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) has directed the fleeing drug baron, Onwurolu declared wanted immediately and his details submitted to Interpol for tracking across the world.
He, therefore, directed the Agency’s Directorate of Assets and Financial Investigations as well as the Directorate of Intelligence to deploy their networks to fast track the arrest of Onwurolu.
Marwa said in view of the volume of heroin brought into the country by the fleeing baron, the Agency would deploy all available mechanisms, locally and internationally, to track him and bring him to face charges in the law court.
“Those who have been on the run for 10 years and some for five years, we have since tracked them and are now facing charges while cooling their heels behind bars. The latest one won’t be an exception, because he can only run but can’t hide for too long before we get him,” Marwa vowed.
