Four associates of an alleged Lagos drug kingpin, Alhaji Suleiman Aremu Ganiu, also known as Barryshine or Ejeoto, have been declared wanted for their involvement in multiple drug trafficking operations.
The wanted individuals are Olarenwaju Ramon Abdulai (a.k.a Alhaji Loyingbo); Oluwafemi Akande Abidoye (a.k.a Igbono, Baba Eje, Ade Iwaya, Femi Iwaya); Olumuyiwa Olufemi Ilori (a.k.a Murphy) and Alate Kafy Bakare Bukki of Kaffy Travels.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) declared them wanted following an order granted by Justice Akintayo Aluko of the Federal High Court in Lagos, allowing the agency to publicly declare the suspects wanted and display their photographs.
The Federal High Court’s ruling had on January 28, 2025, in charge no: FHC/L/731C/2024, granted the NDLEA’s request to declare the four suspects wanted, citing their involvement in drug smuggling activities linked to Barryshine.
Each of the individuals remains at large, and their names have been published for public awareness. The court directed that their photographs be conspicuously displayed to aid their apprehension, according to Femi Babafemi, NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, in a statement on Monday.
The agency urged anyone with information on the whereabouts of the wanted suspects to contact the nearest NDLEA command, call the agency’s toll-free helpline 080010203040, or send direct messages via social media: Instagram, X (Twitter), TikTok: @ndlea_nigeria; Facebook: @ndlea01; YouTube: @ndleatv.
Several of his drug couriers have already been arrested, prosecuted, and convicted. Barryshine himself is currently facing multiple criminal charges at the Federal High Court in Lagos.
In October 2024, Barry Shine was remanded in the custody of Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS), pending the determination of the bail application based on orders from two courts in the Lagos Division of the Federal High Court, on alleged multiple charges on drug-related offences.
Barry Shine, who is the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Barry Shine Suleman Nigeria Limited, was remanded by the courts presided over by Justice Akintayo Aluko and Justice Daniel Osiagor, after he pleaded not guilty to charges made against him in four separate charges
The Defendant was arraigned before Justice Aluko, on three counts each in charges marked FHC/L/731c/2024 and FHC/L/732c/2024, filed respectively by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on Wednesday.
In the two charges, he is facing offences bordering on unlawful management and financing engaging in Drugs Trafficking Organisation (DTO), and exporting various quantities of Narcotic Drugs.
Barry Shine was alleged to have sponsored the duo of Ajisegiri Kehinde Sidikat and Wasiu Gbolahan Sanni Teacher, who have been convicted. He was also accused of sponsoring the alleged drug business of Olarenwaju Ramon Abdulai a.k.a. ‘Alhaji Loyingbo’; Oluwafemi Akande Abidoye a.k.a. ‘Igbono’, ‘Baba Eje’, ‘Ade Iwaya’ ‘Femi Iwaya’; Olumuyiwa Olufemi Ilori a.k.a. ‘Murphy’ and Alate Kafayat Bukky of Kaffy Travels, all said to be at large.
The offences, according to the prosecutors, Abu Ibrahim who led Bibiana Anagu, contravene Section 14(b), 21 (2)(d), and 20 (1)(g) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap. N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, and punishable under Section 20 (2) (b) of the said Act.
Barry Shine denied the allegations, and pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Based on his not-guilty plea, the prosecutor, Mr Ibrahim, asked the court for a trial date. And also urged the court to remand, him pending the conclusion of the charges.
Barry Shine, the Managing Director/CEO of Barryshine Suleiman Nigeria Ltd, was arrested on August 26, 2024, after being on the NDLEA’s watchlist for two years.
He was allegedly involved in four failed attempts to smuggle cocaine to Saudi Arabia and Qatar via Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, between 2022 and 2024.