Throwback: “Drug Baron” 1st Iru-Victoria Island LCDA boss, Aleshinloye, was once arrested for drugs during Abacha
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The first Executive Chairman of Iru-Victoria Island LCDA, Chief Rilwan Aleshinloye, it has been discovered, was once arrested for drugs by the Chairman/Chief Executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Major General Musa Bamaiyi, during the reign of General Sani Abacha.
News of his arrest was culled from a national daily published in 1996, which gave details of his arrest alongside ten other “drug barons”.
The report, titled “11 Drug Barons Held, Assets Seized“, reads:
“Eleven drug barons have been arrested across the country by agents of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
“Among those allegedly arrested were Rilwan Aleshinloye, aka Alesh, John Okpara, Mr. and Mn. Henry Solomon, Tunde Ahmed Oshinowo, Tokunbo Fakoya and Bode Beckley.
“Already, assets of all the arrested barons, according to the NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive, Major General Musa Bamaiyi, have been seized and “now under the control of the NDLEA”.
“General Bamaiyi, however, did not give details of the arrests, but said: “The story has now changed for the better. Since the re-organisation of NDLEA for the drug war operation, we have destroyed several drug syndicates and eleven known barons are now presently facing appropriate legal actions.”
“He regretted that the corrupt practices which was rampant within the Agency before now, did not allow for thorough investigation of assets and drug money laundering operations.
“While giving a performance chart of his Agency for the last one year at a world press conference yesterday in Lagos, General Bamaiyi disclosed that 640 suspected drug offenders were arrested.
“Records of seizures indicated that hard drugs weighing 19297.636 kg with a street value of about N201,168,630.00 were seized between January and November this year alone.
“The NDLEA boss, who recommended death penalty for drug offenders, also disclosed that the Agency took its war against drug to production farmlands where cannabis (Indian Hemp) weighing various kilograms were seized and destroyed.”
“According to him, 15,000 kilograms of Indian hemp harvested from farm at lfon, Ondo State, were destroyed recently while during a similar operation carried out at Use, also in Ondo State, caused the destruction of 3,100 kg of Indian hemp.”
See a copy of the newspaper publication below:
He will later bounce back and become the first Chairman of Iru – Victoria Island LCDA.
Before 2018, however, Aleshinloye became grounded financially that in July of that year he lost one of his most prized possessions, Alesh Hotels over N187 million debt.
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A federal high court in Lagos had ordered the interim forfeiture of the Hotel located at 1 Alesh Hotel Road, Ajah, Lagos, to the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON).
The court also ordered Rilwan and his agents and representatives to steer clear of the property pending the final determination of the suit.
AMCON had dragged him to court over an unpaid debt of N187 million being the alleged balance of a loan issued in favour of RIlwan and Alesh Hotels by the defunct Bank PHB in 2008.
According to the statement of claim filed on behalf of AMCON, Chief Rilwan Aleshinloye had in his capacity as the Chief Executive Officer of Alesh International Hotel signed a N100 million loan facility granted by Bank PBH.
The loan was allegedly secured by legal mortgage of Alesh International Hotel.
It is no surprise that Chief Aleshinloye is beginning to make waves again in Lagos since the advent of the President Ahmed Bola Tinubu administration with whom, it is rumoured, “he has strong ties”.
A source even described him as “Bola Tinubu’s drug pimp”.
At some point, he reportedly went underground but gradually found his feet with the advent of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
WIth Tinubu back in power as president, Aleshinloye is reportedly living large again in Lagos. Read more.
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