Fugitive drug kingpin Ilomuanya arrested in Lagos after years on the run
Uzoma Valentine Ilomuanya, a 58-year-old suspected drug kingpin, has been arrested by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency. The agency, along with British authorities, had been searching for Ilomuanya for over 15 years due to his involvement in drug-related crimes across Nigeria and the UK. His capture in Lagos marks the end of a lengthy pursuit involving multiple arrests, escapes, and discoveries of methamphetamine labs. NDLEA Chairman Buba Marwa hailed the arrest as a significant achievement in the fight against drug trafficking.
What happened
- Uzoma Valentine Ilomuanya was apprehended in Lagos on Monday, February 23, 2026, by the NDLEA’s Special Operations Unit.
- He was previously arrested and convicted in the UK in February 2003 for drug trafficking, serving two years before release after an appeal.
- Ilomuanya was arrested again in the UK in July 2011, but fled to Nigeria after being granted bail.
- In November 2018, NDLEA operatives uncovered two methamphetamine labs linked to him, seizing nearly 78 kilograms of the drug.
- NDLEA Chairman Buba Marwa praised the operation and reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to dismantling drug syndicates.
