In a significant victory for Nigeria’s anti-narcotics efforts, three kingpins and 16 other offenders have been convicted and sentenced to a total of 302 years in prison for trafficking and dealing in illicit drugs. The convictions, secured by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), cover offenses involving cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, cannabis, and opioids.
The 19 convicts, who were prosecuted between July 1st and 31st, 2024, across various Federal High Courts in Benue, Bauchi, Edo, Lagos, Ogun, Gombe, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, are part of a larger crackdown that resulted in the conviction of 414 drug traffickers and dealers within the same period.
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Among the key figures sentenced is 50-year-old Bolanle Lookman Dauda, arrested in a well-coordinated operation by NDLEA operatives on the Lagos-Badagry expressway. Dauda was caught with 57.5 kilograms of cocaine while attempting to smuggle the drugs across the border to Ghana. Following his arrest, Justice Ambrose Allagoa of the Federal High Court in Lagos sentenced Dauda to 21 years in prison or a N30 million fine on July 19th, 2024.
Another notable conviction was that of 34-year-old Ikeh Stanley Ifeanyi, apprehended at the bustling Idumota market in Lagos Island. Ifeanyi was found in possession of 6.48 kilograms of fentanyl, a lethal synthetic opioid significantly contributing to the overdose crisis in the United States. Justice Kehinde Ogundare of the Federal High Court Lagos sentenced Ifeanyi to 14 years in prison or a N2 million fine on July 4th, 2024.
Christian Anyanwu, another kingpin, was convicted for attempting to smuggle 1.4 kilograms of methamphetamine to Brazil via Doha. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison by Justice Yellin Bogoro of the Federal High Court Lagos on July 12th, 2024, with four years of his sentence being mandatory imprisonment without the option of a fine.
Other significant convictions include: Moses Yakubu, Sentenced to 25 years by Justice Rita Ajumogobia of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
Oluosun Okikiola: Sentenced to 15 years by Justice A. A Okeke of the Federal High Court, Abeokuta.
Chanchan Terpase, Sentenced to 7 years by Justice R.J Abubakar of the Federal High Court, Makurdi. Beauty Gani, Sentenced to 30 years by Justice C.O. Obiozor of the Federal High Court, Benin, with an option of an N8 million fine.
Mr. Mohamed Buba Marwa, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, praised the agency’s officers and the judiciary for their diligent work. “The sentencing of these convicts will further strengthen our drug supply reduction efforts,” Marwa stated, highlighting the importance of these convictions in the ongoing fight against drug trafficking in Nigeria.