Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has declared a suspected drug kingpin, Nnamuka Kelvin Uchenna, popularly known as Odogwu, and three of his associates wanted for their alleged roles in operating a clandestine methamphetamine laboratory in Imo State and laundering proceeds from illicit drug activities. The agency also announced that it has frozen bank accounts linked to the syndicate with a combined balance of ₦9,840,873,566.66 and secured interim forfeiture orders on several high-value assets, including a filling station, multi-storey residential buildings, and four Sport Utility Vehicles. The NDLEA's Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement on Friday, July 17, 2026, confirming that the suspects were declared wanted following an order granted by Justice Iniekenimi Nicholas Oweibo of the Federal High Court in Owerri, Imo State.
The court order, which was issued in Suit No. FHC/OW/CS/22/2026 following an application filed by the NDLEA on July 3, 2026, stemmed from investigations into a methamphetamine-producing laboratory that was uncovered by NDLEA operatives at Isiozi in Umuaka, Njaba Local Government Area of Imo State on February 25, 2026. During the operation, operatives recovered 18.4 kilograms of methamphetamine and other items used in the production of the illicit substance. Subsequent investigations linked the four suspects to the operation of the illegal laboratory, but the suspects have since gone into hiding, according to the NDLEA.
The three other suspects declared wanted alongside Uchenna are Emmanuella Chinonso Iroka, Nnamuka Ifeanyi Kingsley, and Ekechi Franklin Chijioke, also known as Ekene Okwunaga. The NDLEA said forensic investigations into the methamphetamine syndicate led to the freezing of bank accounts linked to the suspects, with a combined balance of N9.84 billion. The agency also obtained interim forfeiture orders covering several assets allegedly connected to the syndicate, including a filling station, multi-storey residential buildings, and four SUVs bearing registration numbers RLU 148 AJ, KJA 563 FZ, BWR 249 DY, and FST 208 HU.
Reacting to the development, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, retired Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa, described the operation as a clear demonstration of the agency's resolve to dismantle drug trafficking networks and target the financial infrastructure that sustains them. "This latest operation reaffirms our unwavering commitment to tracking down drug kingpins and their collaborators, no matter how sophisticated their network or how long they attempt to evade justice," Marwa said. "The discovery of this clandestine methamphetamine laboratory in Njaba, and the subsequent freezing of nearly ten billion naira in illicit funds, alongside the forfeiture of a filling station, multi-storey buildings and four exotic SUVs, sends an unambiguous message that the illegal drug business is no longer a safe haven for criminals seeking to launder their ill-gotten wealth through legitimate enterprises".
Marwa assured Nigerians that the agency would continue to deploy financial and forensic intelligence to trace, freeze, and forfeit assets acquired through drug trafficking, while pursuing all suspects linked to the syndicate. He appealed to members of the public with credible information on the whereabouts of the four wanted suspects to report to the nearest NDLEA office or use the agency's confidential communication channels. "We remain committed to ridding our communities of the scourge of drug trafficking and its attendant social and economic harm," he said. The scale of the financial assets linked to the syndicate, nearly N10 billion in bank accounts alone alongside significant physical assets, suggests a highly organised and financially sophisticated drug trafficking operation rather than a small-scale local production outfit, according to analysts.
The NDLEA's latest operation represents a significant escalation in its financial warfare against drug cartels, demonstrating the agency's capacity to go beyond drug seizures to target the illicit wealth accumulated by traffickers. The discovery of the methamphetamine laboratory in Njaba Local Government Area, a region not previously associated with large-scale drug manufacturing, also raises questions about the spread of clandestine drug production facilities across Nigeria. The agency has not disclosed any arrests in connection with the case, and the four suspects remain at large. The public is encouraged to provide information that could lead to their apprehension as the NDLEA continues its investigation.
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