Joachin Mbonu, a notorious drug baron on the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency’s (NDLEA) wanted list, was arrested, marking a significant breakthrough in the fight against drug trafficking. On July 5, 2024, NDLEA agents detained Mbonu at his palatial residence in Imo State.
According to a statement released by NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi on Tuesday, Mbonu was arrested alongside his associate, Kenneth Chibuike Ofoegbu, aged 34. Mbonu is the leader of a major drug cartel involved in the production and distribution of methamphetamine, locally known as ‘mkpuru mmiri.’
Babafemi disclosed, “A major drug cartel behind the production and distribution of the deadly psychoactive substance, methamphetamine, popularly called ‘mkpuru mmiri’ has been taken down by operatives of the NDLEA following the arrest of the leader of the syndicate, 42-year-old Joachin Chikaodi Mbonu, and his associate in his mansion tucked in his Umuomi village, Uzogba-Ezenomi autonomous community, Ikeduru local government area of Imo State.”
The NDLEA targeted the cartel, which operated in Imo and Rivers States, following intelligence reports indicating its responsibility for distributing substantial quantities of methamphetamine across the South East, South South, and other parts of Nigeria.
During the operation, NDLEA operatives recovered 419.99 grams of methamphetamine, 750 grams of iodine, a precursor chemical for methamphetamine, a pump action gun, and four cartridges, among other items. Babafemi detailed the meticulous planning and execution of the operation, saying, “After weeks of surveillance, officers of a special operations unit of the Agency on Friday, July 5, 2024, tracked and traced the drug lord to his village mansion in Imo State where he was caught with a member of his cartel, Kenneth Chibuike Ofoegbu.”
The raid on Mbonu’s mansion yielded significant evidence, including 500 grams of sodium bicarbonate, another precursor chemical for meth, two electronic weighing scales, and additional firearms and ammunition.
The NDLEA operatives extended their operation to Mbonu’s hideouts in Rivers State. At one such location on Redemption Avenue, Port Harcourt, they recovered 750 grams of processed sodium bicarbonate, 170 grams of plain sodium bicarbonate, and 75 grams of methamphetamine. Another raid at the residence of Mbonu’s associate, Odoemenam Pedro Chinedu, who remains at large, in Njaba LGA, Imo State, led to the seizure of another pump action gun with 25 cartridges.
Babafemi further revealed that Mbonu had previously escaped from South Africa, where he lived for years and honed his methamphetamine production skills, after coming under investigation for drug dealings. Upon his return to Nigeria, Mbonu continued his criminal activities by setting up clandestine laboratories in remote villages to evade detection.
