The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has declared Lagos socialite and owner of Adekaz Hotels, Ademola Kazeem wanted over drug trafficking and money laundering.
NDLEA Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, said the decision to declare the suspect wanted followed his failure to honour invitations and an order granted the agency by a Federal High Court in Lagos on Monday, October 17, 2022.
The NDLEA alleged that the suspect is a drug kingpin and the sponsor of some traffickers arrested during recent attempts to export cocaine to Dubai, the United Arab Emirates and other destinations outside Nigeria.
“Soon after the arrest of one of his mules, Bolujoko Muyiwa Babalola, a Lagos BRT driver on 27th June at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja, Alhaji Ademola Kazeem who is also the Chairman of Adekaz Global Integrated Services, went underground,” Babafemi said in a statement on Tuesday.
“Following his failure to honour invitations sent to him, the Agency approached a Federal High Court in Lagos with three prayers: to attach and seal his identified properties in Lagos and Ibadan; declare him wanted and block his bank account with a cash balance of Two Hundred and Seventeen Million Naira (N217,000,000.00), all of which were granted.
“As a result, NDLEA operatives on Wednesday 26th October 2022 sealed six of the identified properties located on Lagos Island. They include: 105 Tokunbo Street off Broad Street, Lagos Island; 1 Abibu Oki street off Marina, Lagos Island; 3 Abibu Oki street off Marina, Lagos Island; 54 Palm Church street, Lagos Island; 26 Agarawu street, Lagos Island; and 41 Foresythe street, Lagos Island. The other one is located at 1 Irepodun zone, Adepoju bus stop, Ajoda Ayedun, Ibadan, Oyo state.”
In a related development, the NDLEA said it arrested another drug baron, Udemezue William on Friday at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja upon his return from Brazil.