Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a long-wanted drug kingpin, bringing to an end a 12-year manhunt linked to the killing of three NDLEA officers.
The arrest was confirmed in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja by the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Mr Femi Babafemi.
Babafemi said the suspect was a notorious drug trafficker known for evading arrest and mobilising armed thugs to confront security agencies.
According to him, tactical teams of the NDLEA tracked the suspect to his hideout in Owode town, Ogun State, on Friday, 16 January, following credible intelligence.
During the operation, officers recovered 69 kilogrammes of skunk, a strain of cannabis, from the suspect.
Babafemi said the arrest represented a major breakthrough in the agency’s resolve to ensure that fugitives, regardless of how long they evade justice, are eventually held accountable.
He recalled that on 15 June 2014, the suspect orchestrated a violent mob attack against NDLEA officers who attempted to arrest him at his enclave.
“The attack resulted in the cold-blooded murder of three NDLEA officers, including Rabiu Usman Kazaure and two others, who were killed by armed thugs mobilised by the suspect,” Babafemi said.
Although the suspect escaped at the time, Babafemi said the agency remained determined to secure justice for the slain officers.
He added that in another encounter on 12 August 2023, NDLEA operatives raided the suspect’s residence in Ado-Odo, Ogun State, where he again escaped arrest. However, officers recovered 139 sacks of skunk weighing a total of 1,922 kilogrammes.
Babafemi said the property used as a warehouse for the drug trade had since been forfeited to the Federal Government following court-ordered asset forfeiture proceedings.
Commending the Ogun State Command, the NDLEA Chairman, retired Brigadier General Buba Marwa, described the arrest as a triumph of justice and a testament to the agency’s determination.
He said the arrest sent a clear message to drug barons and fugitives that justice may be delayed but would not be denied, dedicating the breakthrough to the families of the officers killed 12 years ago.
