The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has successfully captured a notorious drug kingpin, Ibrahim Momoh, who had been on the run for seven years following his escape from Kuje Prison in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Popularly known as Ibrahim Bendel, he had been serving a prison sentence for drug-related offenses before his escape.
According to NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, the arrest took place during a raid at Momoh’s hideout in the Dei-Dei area of Abuja. Babafemi disclosed that Momoh was a significant distributor of illicit substances within the FCT and had a history of drug-related criminal activities. Notably, Momoh was initially apprehended on Nov. 17, 2014, with a staggering 385.1 kilograms of Indian hemp. Subsequently, he was convicted and sentenced to seven-and-a-half years in prison on July 22, 2015, only to escape from prison custody on May 16, 2016.
Acting on credible intelligence, NDLEA operatives, on Nov. 20, 2022, stormed Momoh’s warehouse and recovered a sizeable haul of 1,278 kilograms of Indian hemp concealed within his poultry farm in Dei-Dei. Although Momoh eluded capture during this operation, his warehouse manager, a 55-year-old Ghanaian named Richard Forson Gordon, was apprehended, prosecuted, and sentenced to two years in jail. With Momoh at large, NDLEA declared him a wanted fugitive.
The relentless pursuit of the fugitive drug lord culminated in his arrest on Nov. 5 at his hideout in Filin Dabo, Dei-Dei, where he was found in possession of 56.9 kilograms of Indian hemp and 42.7 grams of Diazepam.
In a separate raid within the FCT, on Monday, Nov. 13, NDLEA arrested Yusufa Ibrahim, 27, with 75.3 kilograms of Indian hemp. Meanwhile, in a massive operation in the Efon Alaye forest, Efon Local Government Area of Ekiti State on Nov. 18, authorities destroyed 52,500 kilograms of Indian hemp cultivated across 21 hectares of farmland. The operation resulted in the recovery of 1,380 kilograms of Indian hemp, with an additional 3,000 kilograms being incinerated. Moreover, fifteen suspects, aged between 18 and 39, were apprehended during the operation.
The successful arrest of Ibrahim Momoh serves as a significant accomplishment in the fight against drug trafficking and abuse in Nigeria. It also underscores the commitment of NDLEA in ensuring the eradication of drug-related crimes and the apprehension of perpetrators.
