…“The drug dealers pleaded guilty to the five-count charge brought against them,”
LAGOS, NIGERIA- The iNews Times | Five individuals linked to a drug trafficking syndicate have been sentenced to a combined 21 years in prison following their conviction in Lagos for multiple drug-related offences.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) confirmed this in a statement on Friday, issued by its spokesperson, Femi Babafemi.
The agency stated that three of the convicts, Olasupo Michael Oladimeji, Muaezee Ademola Ogunbiyi, and Sola Adegoke, were arrested on August 26, 2025, when NDLEA operatives intercepted 17.9 kilograms of cocaine hidden inside textile materials and local charms at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja.
The seized drugs were reportedly intended for shipment to Sydney, Australia.
The NDLEA stated that further investigations led to the recovery of 20.5 kilograms of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, from Ogunbiyi’s residence in Lekki, as well as the seizure of a black Range Rover SUV, registration number RBC 459 EJ, from Adegoke’s home in Ikeja GRA.
The three suspects were later arraigned before Justice Musa Kakaki of the Federal High Court, Lagos, on October 30, 2025, under charge number FHC/L/925C/2025.
“They pleaded guilty to the five-count charge brought against them,” Babafemi confirmed.
On October 31, Justice Kakaki delivered judgment, sentencing each defendant to five years in prison without the option of a fine, resulting in a combined total of 15 years.
The judge also directed that the Range Rover SUV and a Toyota Venza, recovered from the convicts during the investigation, be forfeited to the Federal Government.
In a separate case, the NDLEA spokesperson reported that two other drug traffickers, Obunike Obichukwu and Uzorchukwu Chukwurah, were arrested on July 19, 2025, after operatives intercepted 2.60 kilograms of cocaine and 27.90 kilograms of tramadol concealed in motor spare parts being exported to Gabon via Lagos airport.
The duo were arraigned before Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa of the Federal High Court, Lagos, under charge number FHC/L/980C/2025, where they pleaded guilty.
Justice Lewis-Allagoa subsequently sentenced each of them to three years’ imprisonment, with an option of paying a ₦2 million fine instead of serving the jail term.
The court also ordered the forfeiture of ₦4 million, which Obunike had offered as a bribe to NDLEA officers during the investigation.
Babafemi stated that the convictions highlighted the NDLEA’s renewed strategy of targeting not only drug couriers but also cartel leaders, financiers, and logistics coordinators behind major trafficking networks.
He added that the agency would maintain its focus on asset forfeiture and financial investigations, alongside criminal prosecutions, to disrupt and dismantle the financial networks of drug cartels operating both domestically and internationally.
