19 drug lords sentenced to 302 years

No fewer than 19 people, including three notorious drug lords, have been sentenced to a cumulative 302 years of imprisonment for drug trafficking offenses.

Federal High Courts in several locations handed down the convictions.

Charges against the convicts included trafficking a variety of dangerous drugs, such as cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, cannabis, opioids, and others.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) spokesperson, Mr. Femi Babafemi, announced on Friday that the 19 convicts led the list of 414 drug offenders found guilty by the courts.

The NDLEA secured the convictions in courts across Benue, Bauchi, Edo, Lagos, Ogun, Gombe, and Abuja between July 1st and 31st, 2024, following charges filed by the agency.

The statement reads: “Three drug kingpins and 16 other offenders have been convicted and sentenced to a total of three hundred and two years in prison for trafficking and dealing in illicit drugs such as cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, cannabis, and opioids following their arrest and diligent prosecution by the NDLEA.

“The 19 convicts top the list of 414 drug traffickers and dealers convicted by the Federal High Court in Benue, Bauchi, Edo, Lagos, Ogun, Gombe, and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT Abuja, between July 1st – 31st, 2024, based on charges filed against them by the anti-narcotics agency.”

According to Babafemi, a 50-year-old drug kingpin, Mr. Bolanle Dauda, was apprehended on May 25, 2024, by operatives from the NDLEA’s special operations unit during a targeted raid at Ibiye, near the Lagos-Badagry expressway.

Dauda attempted to smuggle a large consignment of drugs into Ghana across the land border.

The statement added: “At the point of his arrest, 42 blocks of cocaine weighing 47.5 kilograms were found on him.

“A swift follow-up operation in his residence at Plot 24/25 OPIC extension, Petedo Road, Agbara, Ogun State, led to the recovery of an additional eight blocks of the same drug weighing 10 kg, bringing the total weight of the cocaine seized from him to 57.5 kilograms.

“He 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 July 19, 2024, Justice Allagoa convicted and sentenced him to 21 years imprisonment or payment of an option of N30 million fine.”

Babafemi also said another kingpin who was put behind bars is 34-year-old Mr. Ikeh Stanley Ifeanyi, who was arrested at the popular Idumota market in Lagos Island, where no fewer than 1,100 ampoules of lethal synthetic opioid, fentanyl, weighing 6.480 kg were recovered from him.

He added: “The dangerous opioid is 100 times more potent than heroin and is currently responsible for over 70% of overdose deaths, as well as being a major contributor to fatal and nonfatal overdoses in the US.

“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-count charge and sentenced him to 14 years in jail or an option of a N2 million fine.”

Babafemi revealed that the third kingpin, Mr. Christian Anyanwu, was apprehended on November 26, 2022, at the airport, attempting to smuggle 1.4 kilograms of methamphetamine hidden in custard tins amidst cosmetics and food items bound for Brazil via Doha on a Qatar Airways flight.

On July 12, 2024, Justice Yellin Bogoro of the Federal High Court in Lagos arraigned Anyanwu and found him guilty.

The trial judge sentenced him to 16 years of imprisonment, with a mandatory minimum of four years without the option of a fine.

Babafemi added: “Others who bagged mandatory imprisonment in July for drug trafficking include Mr. Moses Yakubu, sentenced to 25 years in prison on July 22 by Justice Rita Ajumogobia of the Federal High Court Abuja.

“Mr. Oluosun Okikiol, a, who was convicted and sentenced to 15 years in jail on 17th July by Justice A. An Okeke of the Federal High Court Abeokuta, Ogun state.

“In the same vein, Justice R.J. Abubakar of the Federal High Court, Makurdi, Benue State, convicted and sentenced Mr. 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 Ms. Beauty Gani to 30 years in prison or payment of an option of a N8 million fine on 3rd July 2024.”