The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has successfully secured a total of 302 years in prison sentences for three major drug kingpins and 16 other offenders involved in drug trafficking.
These convictions follow their arrests and thorough prosecution by the agency for dealing in illicit drugs such as cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, cannabis, and opioids.
The NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed that “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 Abuja between July 1st and 31st, 2024, based on charges filed against them by the anti-narcotics agency.”
One of the convicted kingpins, 50-year-old Bolanle Lookman Dauda, was arrested during an intelligence-led operation by the NDLEA’s special operation unit.
The operation took place at Ibiye, along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, on May 25th, 2024, as Dauda attempted to cross the border to deliver a consignment in Ghana. Babafemi explained that “at the point of his arrest, 42 blocks of cocaine weighing 47.5 kilograms were found on him.”
A swift follow-up operation at Dauda’s residence in Agbara, Ogun State, led to the recovery of an additional eight blocks of the same drug, weighing 10 kilograms, bringing the total to 57.5 kilograms of cocaine seized.
Dauda was arraigned before Hon. Justice Ambrose Allagoa of the Federal High Court, Lagos. In the judgment delivered on July 19th, 2024, Justice Allagoa sentenced Dauda to 21 years in prison or an option to pay a fine of N30 million.
Another kingpin, 34-year-old Ikeh Stanley Ifeanyi, was arrested at the popular Idumota market in Lagos Island, where NDLEA operatives recovered 1,100 ampoules of the lethal synthetic opioid fentanyl, weighing 6.480 kilograms. Babafemi noted that “the dangerous opioid is 100 times more potent than heroin and is currently responsible for over 70% of overdose deaths in the US.” Ifeanyi was later arraigned before Justice Kehinde Ogundare of the Federal High Court, Lagos. On July 4th, 2024, the trial judge convicted Ifeanyi on two counts and sentenced him to 14 years in prison or an option of a N2 million fine.
In another case, Christian Anyanwu was arrested on November 26th, 2022, with 1.4 kilograms of methamphetamine concealed inside custard tins among cosmetics and foodstuffs bound for Brazil via Doha on a Qatar Airways flight. He was arraigned before Justice Yellin Bogoro of the Federal High Court, Lagos, and later convicted on July 12th, 2024. Justice Bogoro sentenced Anyanwu to 16 years in prison, four of which must be served without the option of a fine.
Other notable convictions in July include Moses Yakubu, who was sentenced to 25 years in prison by Justice Rita Ajumogobia of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on July 22nd. Oluosun Okikiola was sentenced to 15 years in prison on July 17th by Justice A.A. Okeke of the Federal High Court, Abeokuta, Ogun State. Additionally, Justice R.J. Abubakar of the Federal High Court, Makurdi, Benue State, sentenced Chanchan Terpase to seven years in prison on July 9th, while Justice C.O. Obiozor of the Federal High Court, Benin, Edo State, sentenced Beauty Gani to 30 years in prison or an option to pay a fine of N8 million on July 3rd, 2024.
The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the officers and men involved in the arrests and prosecutions, as well as the judiciary for the speedy adjudication of these cases. Marwa stated, “The sentencing of the convicts will further give bite to the drug supply reduction efforts of the Agency.”
