NDLEA Seizes 2.1 Tons of Cocaine, Four Drug Lords Sentenced to 28 Years Imprisonment
A Federal High Court in Lagos, presided over by Justice Yellim Bogoro, has sentenced four drug kingpins to a combined 28 years in prison with hard labour.
This ruling follows their conviction for involvement in the seizure of 2,139.55 kilograms of cocaine at Solebo Estate, Ikorodu, Lagos, in what remains the largest drug bust in the country’s history.
The convicts, identified as Soji Jubril Oke (71), Wasiu Akinade (55), Emmanuel Arinze Chukwu (67), and Jamaican national Kelvin Christopher Smith (44), faced a six-count charge including conspiracy, management and financing of a drug trafficking organisation (DTO), and the importation and possession of cocaine.
The charges, filed under case number FHC/L/607C/2022, were first brought to court in October 2022.
After over two years of diligent prosecution led by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Justice Bogoro sentenced Smith to four years in prison, Chukwu to 16 years, Oke to five years, and Akinade to three years.
The court also provided varying options of fines for the convicts, except for one who must serve the full jail term.
Additionally, the court ordered the forfeiture of the convicts’ assets to the Federal Government. These include:
A grey Toyota Tacoma SUV registered to Emmanuel Chukwu.
$50,000 in cash belonging to Chukwu.
N55,099,509.50 and N9,003,168.06 traced to Chukwu and Akinade, respectively.
N3,052,295.20 linked to Akinade.
The NDLEA also secured the final forfeiture of two luxury properties connected to the cartel:
House Number 6, Olokunola Street, Solebo Estate, Ikorodu, Lagos, used for storing the cocaine.
House Number J9, Road 3, Close 1, Victoria Garden City (VGC), Lagos, reportedly purchased with proceeds of drug trafficking.
Justice Bogoro further directed that these properties be sold, with proceeds remitted to the Federal Government.
The convicts’ downfall began with an intelligence-led raid by the NDLEA on 18th September 2022, during which operatives uncovered over 2.1 tons of cocaine in a Solebo Estate residence.
The cartel members were arrested in coordinated operations across Lagos within 24 hours of the bust.
The NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), described the case as a “historic blow” to drug cartels operating within Nigeria.
“This outcome is a strong warning to drug traffickers: not only will you face imprisonment, but you will also lose all assets acquired through this criminal trade,” Marwa stated.
He commended the agency’s officers for their relentless investigation and prosecution efforts.
Meanwhile, the trial of a fifth suspect, Oguntolure Sunday, who was arraigned alongside the convicted individuals, is still ongoing in court.
The NDLEA has reiterated its commitment to dismantling drug trafficking networks and bringing perpetrators to justice, setting an unequivocal precedent with this monumental case.
