The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested Uzoma Valentine Ilomuanya, a fugitive drug lord who has been on the wanted list of Nigerian and British authorities for more than 15 years.
The arrest of the 58-year-old was announced in a statement issued by Femi Babafemi, Director of Media and Advocacy at the agency, on Wednesday in Abuja.
Ilomuanya was apprehended in Lagos on Monday, February 23, 2026, during what the agency described as a coordinated operation carried out by its Special Operations Unit.
Reacting to the development, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) described the arrest as a major milestone in the agency’s sustained offensive against organised drug networks.
The agency said Ilomuanya’s capture brings to an end years of pursuit marked by repeated attempts to evade prosecution in both Nigeria and the United Kingdom. Authorities noted that his criminal record reflects sustained involvement in transnational narcotics trafficking.
Marwa also reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to strengthening intelligence-driven operations and international collaboration to prevent Nigeria from serving as a safe haven for global drug syndicates.
Ilomuanya’s encounters with law enforcement date back over two decades. He was first arrested in the United Kingdom in 2003 for drug trafficking and sentenced to nine years in prison, though he was released after serving about two years following an appeal.
He was arraigned before a Federal High Court in Lagos but later absconded after being granted bail, remaining on the run until his latest arrest.
The latest arrest forms part of NDLEA’s broader crackdown on high-profile traffickers and cartel leaders across the country.
NDLEA maintains that it will continue to intensify enforcement actions aimed at dismantling drug cartels and disrupting narcotics supply chains operating within and beyond Nigeria’s borders.