The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has declared a suspected drug kingpin and three of his associates wanted over their alleged involvement in operating a clandestine methamphetamine laboratory and laundering ₦9.84 billion in suspected drug proceeds.
The wanted suspects are Nnamuka Uchenna, also known as ; Odogwu, Emmanuella Iroka; Nnamuka Kingsley; and Ekechi Chijioke, also known as (Ekene Okwunaga), who are believed to have gone into hiding following investigations by the agency.
According to a statement issued on Friday by the NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi stated that the suspects were declared wanted pursuant to an order granted by Justice Iniekenimi Nicholas Oweibo of the Federal High Court, Owerri, Imo State, following an application filed by the agency in suit number FHC/OW/CS/22/2026 on July 3, 2026.
Babafemi said the court order followed the discovery of a clandestine methamphetamine production laboratory by NDLEA operatives at Isiozi, Umuaka, in Njaba Local Government Area of Imo State, where 18.4 kilograms of methamphetamine and other materials used in the manufacture of the illicit drug were recovered during a raid conducted on February 25, 2026.
He explained that subsequent investigations linked the four suspects to the illegal drug laboratory, adding that they fled after the operation and have remained at large.
The NDLEA spokesman disclosed that forensic investigations into the activities of the drug syndicate led to the freezing of bank accounts linked to the suspects with a combined balance of ₦9,840,873,566.66.
He added that the agency also secured interim forfeiture orders over assets allegedly acquired through proceeds of drug trafficking, including a filling station, multi-storey residential buildings and four Sport Utility Vehicles (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, Mohamed Marwa, commended the officers and operatives involved in the operation, describing the outcome as a clear demonstration of the agency’s determination to dismantle drug trafficking networks and weaken the financial structures sustaining them.
Marwa said the discovery of the clandestine methamphetamine laboratory, the freezing of nearly ₦10 billion in suspected illicit funds and the forfeiture of high-value assets send a strong signal that drug traffickers can no longer rely on legitimate businesses to conceal proceeds of crime.
He assured Nigerians that the agency would continue to pursue the fleeing suspects and every other individual linked to the syndicate, stressing that financial and forensic intelligence would remain central to the NDLEA’s strategy for tracing, freezing and forfeiting assets derived from illicit drug trafficking.
The NDLEA boss also appealed to members of the public with credible information on the whereabouts of the wanted suspects to report to the nearest NDLEA office or use the agency’s confidential communication channels, reaffirming its commitment to eliminating drug trafficking and its associated social and economic consequences across the country.