The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has secured the conviction and sentencing of 19 drug traffickers, including three notorious kingpins, to a combined total of 302 years in prison. The convicts, who were involved in the trafficking and sale of illicit drugs such as cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, cannabis, and opioids, were prosecuted following their arrests by the NDLEA.
The convictions were handed down by the Federal High Court in various states across Nigeria, including Benue, Bauchi, Edo, Lagos, Ogun, Gombe, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, between July 1st and 31st, 2024.
One of the key figures among the convicts is 50-year-old Bolanle Lookman Dauda. He was arrested on May 25th, 2024, during a raid led by NDLEA operatives on the Lagos-Badagry expressway. Dauda was apprehended while attempting to cross the border into Ghana with 42 blocks of cocaine weighing 47.5 kilograms. A follow-up search at his residence in Agbara, Ogun State, uncovered an additional eight blocks of cocaine, bringing the total haul to 57.5 kilograms. Dauda was charged and tried before Justice Ambrose Allagoa of the Federal High Court in Lagos. On July 19th, 2024, he was sentenced to 21 years in prison, with an option to pay a N30 million fine.
Another major player, 34-year-old Ikeh Stanley Ifeanyi, was arrested in the bustling Idumota market on Lagos Island. NDLEA operatives seized 1,100 ampoules of the deadly synthetic opioid fentanyl, weighing 6.480 kilograms, from Ifeanyi. Fentanyl, which is 100 times more potent than heroin, has been linked to numerous overdose deaths in the United States and has increasingly become a problem in Nigeria. Ifeanyi was subsequently charged before Justice Kehinde Ogundare of the Federal High Court in Lagos. On July 4th, 2024, he was convicted and sentenced to 14 years in prison, with an option of a N2 million fine.
The third kingpin, Christian Anyanwu, was arrested on November 26th, 2022, while attempting to smuggle 1.4 kilograms of methamphetamine concealed inside custard tins. The drugs were destined for Brazil via a Qatar Airways flight. Anyanwu was brought before Justice Yellin Bogoro of the Federal High Court in Lagos, where he was convicted and sentenced on July 12th, 2024. His 16-year sentence includes a mandatory four-year term without the option of a fine.
These high-profile cases were part of a broader crackdown by the NDLEA, which led to the conviction of other offenders across Nigeria. For instance, on July 22nd, 2024, Justice Rita Ajumogobia of the Federal High Court in Abuja sentenced Moses Yakubu to 25 years in prison for drug trafficking. Similarly, Justice A.A. Okeke of the Federal High Court in Abeokuta, Ogun State, sentenced Oluosun Okikiola to 15 years behind bars on July 17th, 2024.
In Benue State, Justice R.J. Abubakar of the Federal High Court in Makurdi convicted Chanchan Terpase and sentenced him to seven years in prison on July 9th, 2024. Finally, in Edo State, Justice C.O. Obiozor of the Federal High Court in Benin sentenced Beauty Gani to 30 years in prison, with an option of an N8 million fine, on July 3rd, 2024.
The NDLEA’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), expressed satisfaction with the successful prosecutions. He commended the NDLEA officers involved in the arrests and investigations, as well as the judiciary for the swift handling of these cases.
According to Marwa, the sentencing of these traffickers represents a significant step forward in the agency’s efforts to reduce the availability of illicit drugs in Nigeria.
“Our strategy is clear: cut off the supply of drugs, and you reduce the impact on our communities,” Marwa said. “These convictions show that the NDLEA is serious about its mandate, and we will continue to pursue those who profit from the misery caused by drug abuse.”
The NDLEA’s intensified efforts come at a time when Nigeria is facing increasing challenges from drug trafficking. With its strategic location, the country has become a key transit point for illicit drugs destined for other regions. According to reports, the NDLEA has been ramping up its operations, utilizing intelligence-led investigations and international cooperation to dismantle drug trafficking networks.
