Drug Kingpins Sentenced To 28 Years In Landmark Cocaine Case

Lagos, Nigeria – Four drug lords have been sentenced to 28 years in prison with hard labour after being convicted in a landmark drug trafficking case involving Nigeria’s largest single cocaine seizure in history.

The sentences were handed down on Thursday by Justice Yellim Bogoro of the Federal High Court in Lagos, bringing a two-year prosecution spearheaded by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to an end.

The convicts, Soji Oke (71), Wasiu Akinade (55), Emmanuel Chukwu (67), and Kelvin Christopher Smith (44), a Jamaican national, were found guilty of six counts of conspiracy, managing a drug trafficking organisation (DTO), and importing and possessing 2,139.55 kilogrammes of cocaine.

The charges stemmed from a raid on September 18, 2022, at a residence in Solebo Estate, Ikorodu, Lagos, where NDLEA agents seized over 2.1 tonnes of cocaine in an intelligence-led operation.

Following the seizure, the suspects were apprehended in a number of locations throughout Lagos.

Smith was sentenced to four years, Chukwu to sixteen, Oke to five, and Akinade to three years. While several convicts were given the option of paying fines in lieu of some or all of their prison sentences, at least one will serve their entire sentence without the possibility of a fine.

Aside from prison time, the convicts faced significant financial penalties. The court ordered the forfeiture of Chukwu’s Toyota Tacoma SUV, $50,000 and N55,099,509.50, as well as Akinade’s various sums of money.

In a separate but related case, the court ordered the final forfeiture of two properties linked to the drug cartel: a house at 6 Olokunola Street, Sholebo Estate, Ikorodu, which was used to store cocaine, and another house at J9, Road 3, Close 1, Victoria Garden City (VGC) Estate, Lagos, which was believed to have been purchased with drug money.

The court ordered the sale or disposal of these properties, with proceeds going to the federal government.

NDLEA spokesman Femi Babafemi praised the convictions, claiming that the extensive investigation and prosecution dealt a historical blow to drug cartels.

The fifth suspect, Oguntolure Sunday, is still on trial.

NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd) praised the agency’s officers, emphasising that this case serves as a stark warning to drug traffickers: Imprisonment will be combined with the forfeiture of all assets obtained through illegal drug activity.