TheCable

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says Afam Ukatu, chairman of Mallinson group of companies, imported 1,284 cartons of tramadol into the country in October 2019.

Last Wednesday, the NDLEA announced that it had arrested Ukatu over an alleged N3 billion tramadol deal linked to Abba Kyari, the suspended deputy commissioner of police (DCP).

The anti-drug agency said Utaku was arrested on a flight to Abuja from Lagos airport on April 13.

Giving an update on the arrest, Femi Babafemi, NDLEA spokesperson, said the agency has gathered evidence on how the billionaire imported tramadol brands far above the threshold permitted to be imported into Nigeria.

“The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has said that ongoing investigation of a billionaire drug baron, Chief Afam Mallinson Ukatu, has led to the discovery of how the suspect imported into Nigeria in a single month, October 2019, two containers containing 1,284 cartons of Tramadol with market value of over N22 billion,” Babafemi said in a statement on Tuesday.

“Investigations reveal he’s been a major importer of large consignments of different brands and high dosages of tramadol hydrochloride, ranging from 120mg, 200mg, 225mg and 250mg, all of which are illicit.

“Ukatu owns pharmaceutical and plastic manufacturing companies, which he used as a cover to import illicit drugs into Nigeria.”

TheCable understands that the approved milligram for tramadol is 50 and 100 while higher milligrams are prohibited.

The agency said its operatives “unearthed more evidence establishing how Ukatu has been importing large quantities of tramadol far above the approved threshold allowed into the country”.

“In one instance, Ukatu through his Mallinson group of companies imported into the country two-container loads of five different brands of Tramadol in October 2019 through the Apapa ports in Lagos,” the statement reads.

“All the evidence so far gathered shows that the imported tramadol brands were far above the threshold permitted to be imported into Nigeria. No doubt the suspect will soon have his day in court.”