A Lagos socialite and alcoholic beverage distributor, Fumilola Arike Ogbuaya, also known as Arike Fumilola Ogundipe, who has been on the run since February 2017 over her indictment for the unlawful exportation of 1.595kg of cocaine to Saudi Arabia, has reported herself to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Command, Lagos, of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
NDLEA spokesman Mitchell Ofoyeju confirmed this in a statement released to the press.
He explained that Mrs. Ogbuaya was declared wanted by the anti-narcotics agency after an investigation into Odeyemi Omolara Morayo, who was arrested while attempting to smuggle cocaine from Nigeria to Saudi Arabia, implicated the socialite in the drug smuggling scheme.
Ofoyeju said that the NDLEA has also secured an interim forfeiture order of Mrs. Ogbuaya’s assets worth billions of naira after she ignored several of the agency’s invitations for questioning.
Among the assets are expensive properties located in Lagos, Ogun, and Osun States.
Col. Muhammad Mustapha Abdallah (retd.), Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, further confirmed the development, adding that a thorough investigation is ongoing.
Mustapha explained that the NDLEA remains committed to its statutory functions in the campaign against drug cultivation, trafficking and abuse.
“We are also working to prevent drug cartels from enjoying the proceeds of illicit drugs. Sequel to the investigation of assets traced to the suspect, the agency has secured an interim forfeiture while efforts are ongoing to get a final forfeiture,” he said.
The NDLEA boss noted that asset forfeiture was an important requirement in the NDLEA Act and assured that no stone would be left unturned in the race for total incapacitation of drug traffickers.
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