16 drug traffickers and three kingpins have been sentenced to Three Hundred and Two (302) years imprisonment, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) said on Friday.
The agency’s statement that was endorsed by its spokesman, Mr Femi Babafemi revealed that 19 convicts top the list of 414 drug traffickers and dealers convicted.
They were convicted by the Federal High Courts in Benue, Bauchi, Edo, Lagos, Ogun, Gombe States and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT Abuja between July 1st 31st 2024, following their arrest and diligent prosecution by the anti narcotic Agency.
According to the statement which was published on NDLEA website said they were convicted by for trafficking and dealing in illicit drugs such as cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, cannabis and opioids.
50-year-old Bolanle Lookman Dauda, one of the three kingpins, was arrested in an intelligence-led raid by operatives of a special operation Unit in NDLEA at Ibiye on Lagos-Badagry expressway while attempting to cross the land border to deliver the consignment in Ghana on Saturday 25th May 2024.
42 blocks of cocaine weighing 47.5 kilograms were found on him when he was arrested by NDLEA operatives who swiftly raided his residence at Plot 24/25 OPIC extension, Petedo road, Agbara, Ogun State.
Additional eight blocks of the same drug weighing 10kg, bringing the total weight of the cocaine seized from him to 57.5 kilograms, according to the Agency.
The convict, was subsequently arraigned before Hon. Justice Ambrose Allagoa of the Federal High Court, Lagos in charge number FHC/L/537C/2024.
In his judgment delivered on 19th July 2024, Justice Allagoa convicted and sentenced him to 21 years imprisonment or payment of an option of N30 million fine.
Similarly, 34-year-old Ikeh Stanley Ifeanyi who is also now behind bars in connection with 1,100 ampoules of lethal synthetic opioid, fentanyl, weighing 6.480kg that were recovered from him.
The kingpin was arrested at the popular Idumota market in Lagos Island by the Agency which also recovered dangerous opioid.
The strain is 100 times more potent than heroin and currently responsible for over 70% overdose deaths as well as a major contributor to fatal and nonfatal overdoses in the US.
The statement said he was later arraigned before Justice Kehinde Ogundare of the Federal High Court Lagos in charge number FHC/L/433C/2024.
Delivering his judgment on 4th July 2024, the trial judge convicted Ifeanyi on the two counts charge and sentenced him to 14 years in jail or an option of N2 million fine.
In its continued onslaught against drug lords, NDLEA also nabbed Christian Anyanwu was arrested on Saturday 26th November, 2022 with 1.4 kilograms of methamphetamine.
The consignment was concealed inside custard tins packed among cosmetics and foodstuffs going to Brazil via Doha on a Qatar Airways flight.
He was subsequently docked before Justice Yellin Bogoro of the Federal High Court Lagos, and later convicted on 12th July 2024, according to NDLEA.
In his ruling, the trial judge sentenced Anyanwu to 16 years in jail, four of which is a mandatory imprisonment without an option of fine.
Others who bagged mandatory imprisonment in July for drug trafficking include: Moses Yakubu sentenced to 25 years in prison on 22nd July by Justice Rita Ajumogobia of the Federal High Court Abuja.
Oluosun Okikiola who was convicted and sentenced to 15 years in jail on 17th July by Justice A. A Okeke of the Federal High Court Abeokuta, Ogun State.
Also in another judgement, Justice R.J Abubakar of the Federal High Court, Makurdi, Benue state convicted and sentenced Chanchan Terpase to seven years in prison on 9th July.
Justice C.O. Obiozor of the Federal High Court, Benin, Edo State convicted and sentenced Beauty Gani to 30 years in prison or payment of an option of N8.million fine on 3rd July 2024.
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