Uzoma Valentine Ilomuanya, a drug kingpin on the wanted list of Nigerian and British police for over 15 years, has been apprehended by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). The agency's Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, announced the 58-year-old's arrest in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja. On Monday, February 23, 2026, Ilomuanya was captured in Lagos as part of what the CIA called a coordinated operation conducted by its Special Operations Unit.
Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), the NDLEA's chairman and chief executive officer, responded to the news by calling the arrest a significant turning point in the organization's ongoing campaign against organized crime networks.
Ilomuanya's apprehension, according to the agency, ends years of pursuit punctuated by several attempts to avoid punishment in both Nigeria and the UK. His criminal history, according to the authorities, shows that he has been involved in international drug trafficking for a long time.
To stop Nigeria from acting as a haven for international drug syndicates, Marwa also reiterated the agency's dedication to bolstering intelligence-driven operations and international cooperation.
Ilomuanya has been involved in law enforcement for more than 20 years. He was initially detained for drug trafficking in the UK in 2003 and given a nine-year prison sentence; however, an appeal led to his release after around two years of incarceration. He was arrested for drug-related offenses in the UK once more in 2011, although an administrative release was granted. After that, he left the country and went back to Nigeria.
After discovering two methamphetamine production sites, one in his hometown of Orlu Local Government Area in Imo State and another at a home in Lagos, NDLEA agents detained him in November 2018. Officers found equipment used in the production of methamphetamine and approximately 78 kilograms of the drug. After being granted bail, he fled after being charged before a Federal High Court in Lagos, where he was apprehended most recently.