The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a wanted drug kingpin, Ibrahim Momoh, seven years after he escaped from Kuje Prison in the FCT.

Also known as Ibrahim Bendel, he was serving a prison term for drug dealing when he escaped from custody.

NDLEA’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi, stated on Sunday in Abuja that Mr Momoh was arrested in a raid on his hideout at Filin Dabo, Dei-Dei area of Abuja.

Mr Babafemi described Mr Momoh as a notorious major distributor of illicit substances within the FCT. He recalled that he was first arrested on November 17, 2014, with Indian hemp weighing 385.1kgs, prosecuted and convicted.

He explained that Mr Momoh was convicted and sentenced to seven and a half years in prison on July 22, 2015, but escaped from prison custody on May 16, 2016.

“Following credible intelligence reports, NDLEA operatives stormed the warehouse of fugitive Ibrahim Momoh on November 20, 2022, and recovered 81 jumbo bags of Indian hemp weighing 1,278kgs.

“The store was located within his poultry farm in the Dei-Dei area of the FCT.

“Momoh was not around at the time of the operation, but his warehouse manager, 55-year-old Ghanaian Richard Forson Gordon, was arrested, prosecuted and sentenced to two years in jail,” said Mr Babafemi.

The NDLEA spokesperson said the agency arrested Mr Momoh with 56.9kg of Indian hemp and 42.7 grams of Diazepam on November 5 during a raid on his hideout at Filin Dabo, Dei-Dei. He had been declared wanted

In another raid in the same area of the FCT on Monday, November 13, a suspect, Yusufa Ibrahim (27), was arrested with 75.3kg of Indian hemp.

Meanwhile, a massive operation at an Efon Alaye forest in Efon Local Government Area of Ekiti on November 18 led to the destruction of 52,500kg of Indian hemp planted over 21 hectares of farmland.

Mr Babafemi stated that 92 bags of Indian hemp weighing 1,380kg were recovered, while 250 bags of the same substance, weighing 3,000kg and stored in different huts on the farm, were burnt.

“Fifteen suspects, with their ages ranging between 18 and 39 years, were arrested on the farm during the operation,’’ he stated.

(NAN)