By Uthman Salami
The Masters Energy oil and Gas limited has denied a media report that the suspected billionaire drug Baron, Chief Afam Mallinson Emmanuel Ukatu who was arrested for being behind the N3 billion tramadol deal involving the suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, DCP Abba Kyari-led Intelligence Response Team (IRT) was its director.
The company debunked the rumour through a public notice signed for the company by a Director of Masters Energy Oil and Gas limited, Mr. Ugochukwu Nwofor yesterday.
Mr. Nwofor while denying the news described it as “erroneous and misleading” circulated by some media houses.
According to him, the notice was meant to clarify the misleading story, categorically stating that Chief Mallinson Emmanuel Ukatu was not a Director of Masters Energy Oil and Gas Limited, thereby advising the general public “to desist from peddling unverified rumour that could scrabble the image of a reputable company like ours.”
The statement partly read; “Our attention has been drawn to the viral news of an alleged suspected billionaire drug Baron behind the N3 billion tramadol deal involving the embattled suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, DCP Abba Kyari-led Intelligence Response Team (IRT), linking suspected billionaire drug Baron behind the N3 billion to Masters Energy Oil and Gas LTD.
“We write to debunk the erroneous and misleading news furnished by some media houses about Chief Afam Mallinson Emmanuel Ukatu being a Masters Energy Oil and Gas Limited.
“This public notice is hereby issued and made to the general public to inform them that Chief Afam Mallinson Emmanuel Ukatu is not a Director of Masters Energy Oil and Gas Limited.
“We advise the general public to desist from peddling unverified rumour that could scrabble the image reputable of a reputable company like ours.”
Recall that the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) had announced the arrest of a suspected billionaire drug baron behind the N3bn Tramadol deal allegedly involving the embattled suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari-led Intelligence Response Team, Chief Afam Mallinson Emmanuel Ukatu.
The anti-narcotic agency said Ukatu’s arrest after months of surveillance and evasion of arrest. Ukatu, who is Chairman of Mallinson Group of Companies, was arrested onboard a flight to Abuja at the MM2 Terminal of the Murtala Muhammadu Airport, Ikeja Lagos on Wednesday, April 13