Seven years after escape — NDLEA rearrests convicted drug kingpin

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has rearrested a convicted drug trafficker, Ibrahim Momoh, in the federal capital territory (FCT).

In a statement on Sunday, spokesperson of the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, said Momoh escaped from custody seven years ago after he was convicted for the same offences.

Momoh, popularly known as Ibrahim Bendel, was arrested by NDLEA during a raid of his hideout at Filin Dabo, Dei-Dei area of the FCT.

“Ibrahim Momoh was first arrested on 27th November, 2014 with cannabis sativa weighing 385.1kgs, prosecuted, convicted and sentenced to seven and a half years in prison on 22nd July 2015 but while serving his jail term at Kuje, he escaped from prison custody on 16th May, 2016,” the statement reads.

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“Following credible intelligence, NDLEA operatives on 20th November 2022 stormed the warehouse of the fleeing ex-convict, Ibrahim Momoh, and recovered 81 jumbo bags of cannabis weighing 1,278kgs.

“The store was located within his poultry farm in Dei-Dei area of the FCT. Though Momoh was not around at the time, his warehouse manager, 55-year-old Ghanaian, Richard Forson Gordon was arrested, prosecuted and sentenced to two years in jail. The Agency thereafter declared Ibrahim Momoh wanted.

“The manhunt for the drug lord paid off on 5th November 2023 when operatives again raided his hideout at Filin Dabo, Dei-Dei area of Abuja where he was arrested with 56.9kgs of cannabis sativa and 42.7 grams of Diazepam.”

The NDLEA said operatives also arrested five persons including another wanted drug kingpin, Christopher Onyebuchi, at New Bridge Compound, Idoani, Ondo state.

The agency also conducted operations in Edo, Ekiti, Ondo, Sokoto, Benue, Ogun and Imo — recovering large volumes of opioid pills, cannabis, codeine syrup and molly.