National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has, again, linked two containers containing 1,284 cartons of Tramadol with market value of over N22billion to Chief Adam Mallison Ukatu, the alleged crony of disgraced top police officer, Abba Kyari.
Head, NDLEA Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi said in a statement that the ongoing investigation of the billionaire drug baron led to the discovery of how the suspect imported into the country two containers in a single month, October 2019.
The agency said the statement became necessary to counter insinuations by some hirelings that NDLEA has no evidence to pin a crime on Ukatu, who is the Chairman/CEO of Mallinson Group of companies.
“After months of surveillance, Ukatu was eventually arrested on board a flight to Abuja at the MM2 Terminal of the Lagos Airport, Ikeja on Wednesday, 13 April.
“Investigations reveal he’s 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,” Babafemi stated in the statement.
He said NDLEA operatives, in the course of investigating the N3billion Tramadol saga between Ukatu and the Abba Kyari’s IRT team, unearthed more evidences establishing how Ukatu has been importing large quantities of Tramadol, far above the approved threshold allowed into the country.
“In one instance, Ukatu, through his Mallinson Group of companies, imported into the country two-container loads of five different brands of Tramadol in October 2019 through the Apapa Port in Lagos.
“All the evidences so far gathered show that the imported Tramadol brands were far above the threshold permitted to be imported into Nigeria.No doubt the suspect will soon have his day in court,” NDLEA stated in the statement.
