How NDLEA Nabbed Suspect Who Faked Death to Escape Trial

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has rearrested a suspected drug trafficker in Edo State after he allegedly absconded from trial and was falsely declared dead by his wife in an attempt to evade prosecution.

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The suspect, identified as Ibrahim Yusuf Lawal, was re-arraigned before the Federal High Court sitting in Benin after operatives discovered that reports of his death were untrue.

The Edo State Commander of the NDLEA, Mitchell Ofoyeju, disclosed the development on Tuesday, describing the incident as a deliberate attempt to obstruct justice.

Ofoyeju said Lawal was initially arrested on February 5, 2022, at Ugbekun Junction in Esan Central Local Government Area while allegedly transporting banned psychotropic substances.

According to him, the suspect was intercepted in a white Toyota bus with Abuja registration number BWR 401 XC and found with 0.257 kilogramme of Lexotan, one kilogramme of Diazepam and 5.4 kilogrammes of Phenobarbital.

He explained that the suspect was subsequently charged before the Federal High Court on a three-count charge bordering on unlawful transportation of controlled substances under the NDLEA Act.

The commander noted that although the defendant pleaded not guilty and was granted bail, he later disappeared and failed to attend court proceedings.

Ofoyeju alleged that in a bid to frustrate the trial, the suspect’s wife, identified as Ibrahim Nana Hawa, submitted an affidavit claiming that her husband died on October 3, 2024, after battling tuberculosis.

The affidavit reportedly stated that Lawal died in Kogi State and was buried according to Islamic rites.

The NDLEA boss, however, said investigations later revealed that the suspect was alive and had been hiding from authorities.

“Our operatives acted on credible intelligence and uncovered that the suspect was not dead as claimed. He was eventually tracked down and rearrested during a covert operation,” Ofoyeju said.

He added that the suspect was brought before Justice B.O. Quadir of the Federal High Court in Benin on Tuesday, while the matter was adjourned till June 22, 2026, for further hearing.

Ofoyeju warned that the agency would prosecute anyone found to have participated in the alleged fraudulent scheme, including individuals who aided the submission of the false death affidavit.

He described the use of fake documents to evade prosecution as a serious offence capable of undermining the justice system.

The commander also urged drug traffickers and their accomplices to desist from criminal activities, stressing that the agency would continue to intensify efforts to combat illicit drug trafficking across the country.

He commended NDLEA operatives in Edo and Kogi states for their persistence and professionalism in tracking down the suspect.