Reason Why NDLEA Arrested US-Trained Filmmaker Emeka Mbadiwe

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested Emeka Mbadiwe, a US-trained Hollywood and Nollywood filmmaker and motivational speaker, in connection with illicit drug trafficking.

The arrest took place on January 1 at a hotel in Lekki, Lagos.

According to NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, Mbadiwe was apprehended after his associate, Uzoekwe James, was arrested on December 27, 2024, at a warehouse in Ajao Estate, Lagos.

Read Also: NDLEA Arrests Businessman Attempting to Smuggle Cocaine Upon Return to Nigeria

James was reportedly sent by Mbadiwe to retrieve a shipment of 33 parcels of “Loud,” a potent strain of cannabis weighing 17.30 kilograms.

The shipment had arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, on December 24 via a Delta Airlines flight, concealed in large wooden boxes.

Meanwhile, in Lagos, an ex-convict, Sodade Sunday Eniola, previously convicted for drug trafficking, was arrested again by the NDLEA for passport racketeering. Eniola, who had paid a fine in lieu of a four-year prison sentence in June 2024, was implicated in a syndicate smuggling passports concealed in shoe soles and food items to Canada, Russia, and other countries.

Read Also: NDLEA Seizes ₦4 Billion Worth of Cocaine At Lagos Airport

In a separate operation, NDLEA officers intercepted 316,800 bottles of codeine-based syrup at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex in Rivers State on December 31, 2024.

The seizure was made during a joint inspection involving customs and other security agencies.

The NDLEA has handed over suspects and exhibits from various operations to relevant authorities for further investigation and prosecution.