The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) announced on Sunday the seizure of a mansion in Victoria Garden City, Lekki, Lagos. The property, used as a secret methamphetamine lab by convicted drug lord Okenwa Chris Nzewi, was seized by the Federal Government following Nzewi’s successful prosecution and conviction for drug-related crimes.
NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, stated that Nzewi and his associate, Sunny Okeh Ukah, were arrested on July 30, 2022, and later charged at the Federal High Court in Lagos. Both men pleaded guilty on July 17, 2023, and were sentenced to four and three years in prison, respectively. They were also fined N4,000,000 and N3,000,000, respectively, and ordered to perform community service.
Nzewi’s vehicle, with the license plate EKY 496 DJ, was also seized by the government. In an effort to prevent Nzewi from benefiting from his illegal activities, the NDLEA filed a civil forfeiture case against the mansion. The building was initially subject to an interim forfeiture order, which expired on December 6, before being permanently forfeited on December 7, 2023.
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In other news, NDLEA operatives intercepted a shipment of cocaine weighing 2.287kg on the Owerri-Onitsha expressway in Imo on December 14. The shipment, concealed in cellophane condoms, originated from Lagos and was destined for Port Harcourt, Rivers State. A 45-year-old suspect, Isaac Okoh, has been arrested in connection with the shipment.
On December 15, NDLEA officers in Lagos arrested a 75-year-old woman, Mrs. Sekinat Soremekun, for dealing in illegal drugs. At the time of her arrest in the Oshodi area of Lagos, she was found in possession of quantities of cannabis and litres of codeine syrup. She claimed that her son, Segun, who is currently on the run, supplied her with the drugs, which she then sold.
