202 cartons of Tramadol were confiscated from Ukatu’s men by Abba Kyari’s led IRT team in May last year, but only 12 Cartons of the Tramadol got to the NDLEA with a suspect. The remaining 190 cartons and the other suspects were unaccounted for.
By Ishaya Ibrahim, News Editor
The National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has nabbed a billionaire drug baron, Chief Afam Mallinson Emmanuel Ukatu who was behind the shipment of an estimated N3 billion worth of Tramadol into Nigeria.
Recall that in May last year, the embattled suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari-led Intelligence Response Team (IRT), confiscated 202 cartons of Tramadol from Ukatu’s men after a sting operation, but diverted 190 cartons for their illegal trade.
A statement by NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, says Ukatu, who is the chairman of Mallinson Group of Companies, was nabbed onboard a flight to Abuja
at the MM2 terminal of the Lagos airport, Ikeja on Wednesday 13th April after many months of surveillance.
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According to the statement by Babafemi, investigations reveal that Ukatu has been a major importer of large consignments of different brands and high dosages of Tramadol Hydrochloride, ranging from 120mg, 200mg, 225mg and 250mg, all of which are illicit.
Ukatu owns pharmaceutical and plastic manufacturing companies, which he used as a cover to import illicit drugs into Nigeria. This is in addition to operating 103 bank accounts, most of which are used to launder money.
Ukatu came under watch last year after five cartons of Tramadol 225mg were seized from his staff on 4th May 2021 when he sent them to sell to undercover police officers headed by Kyari at the time.
The price of a carton of Tramadol was negotiated at N17million each as against the then black market value that ranged between N18million and N20million a carton in Lagos.
After the arrest of Ukatu’s staff; Pius Enidom and Sunday Ibekwete, Kyari’s men were then led by the suspects to Mallinson’s warehouse at Ojota in Lagos where 197 additional Cartons of Tramadol 225mg were seized by the IRT Team. The monetary value of the 202 cartons of Tramadol seized from Mallinson in one day was over N3 billion.
Three weeks after the seizure, the Kyari’s IRT team transferred only 12 Cartons of the Tramadol with one truck and a suspect to the Lagos Command of the NDLEA, leaving 190 cartons unaccounted for.
After over eight months of following the lead, anti-narcotic officers of the Agency eventually arrested Ukatu at the Lagos airport on 13th April 2022. Kyari and four top members of his team are already facing trial for a different but similar offence at a Federal High Court in Abuja.
