NDLEA re-arrests drug suspect who faked his death

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has re-arrested a suspected drug trafficker, Ibrahim Yusuf Lawal, who allegedly jumped bail and was falsely declared dead by his wife in an affidavit submitted to a Federal High Court in Benin, Edo State.

The Edo State Commander of the NDLEA, Mitchell Ofoyeju, disclosed this on Tuesday, saying the suspect was brought before the Federal High Court in Benin on May 26, 2026, after operatives uncovered that he was alive despite claims of his death.

Ofoyeju said Lawal, 50, was initially arrested on February 5, 2022, at Ugbekun Junction in Esan Central Local Government Area of Edo State while transporting psychotropic substances.

According to him, the suspect was found with 0.257kg of Lexotan, 1kg of Diazepam and 5.4kg of Phenobarbital concealed in a white Toyota bus with registration number Abuja BWR 401 XC.

He said the suspect was subsequently arraigned on a three-count charge bordering on unlawful transportation of controlled substances under the NDLEA Act Cap N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

After pleading not guilty, Lawal was granted bail by the court but later absconded and failed to appear for trial.

In what the agency described as an attempt to evade prosecution, Lawal’s wife, identified as Ibrahim Nana Hawa, allegedly submitted an affidavit in October 2024 claiming that her husband died on October 3, 2024, after suffering from tuberculosis.

The affidavit reportedly stated that the couple resided in Iruvucheba, Okene Local Government Area of Kogi State, and that the suspect had been buried according to Islamic rites.

The NDLEA, however, said subsequent intelligence-led investigations revealed that the suspect was still alive.

“Our operatives, working on an intelligence report, uncovered the truth that Ibrahim Yusuf Lawal was very much alive. He was recently apprehended in a covert operation and taken into custody,” Ofoyeju said.

“He had earlier jumped bail and his wife fraudulently submitted an affidavit claiming he had died while they were living together at Iruvucheba, Okene, Kogi State,” he added.

The agency said Lawal was re-arraigned before Justice B.O. Quadir of the Federal High Court, Benin, on Tuesday, while the matter was adjourned till June 22, 2026, for further hearing.

Ofoyeju described the alleged false death claim as an attempt to obstruct justice.

“The use of a false death affidavit to evade prosecution is a serious offence, and the command will not hesitate to sanction all parties involved, including the wife, for her role in this fraudulent scheme,” he said.

He added that the case should serve as a warning to drug traffickers and their collaborators that “no amount of deception can hide them from the long arm of the law.”

The NDLEA commander also commended officers in Edo and Kogi states for their role in tracking and re-arresting the suspect, while reaffirming the agency’s commitment to combating illicit drug trafficking across the country.