In a significant crackdown on drug trafficking, three major kingpins, along with 16 other offenders, have been sentenced to a combined total of 302 years in prison for their involvement in trafficking and dealing in illicit drugs, including cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, cannabis, and opioids. These sentences follow their arrests and diligent prosecution by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
The Director of Media & Advocacy for NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, released a statement on Friday detailing that the 19 convicts were among 414 drug traffickers and dealers convicted by the Federal High Court in various states, including Benue, Bauchi, Edo, Lagos, Ogun, Gombe, and the Federal Capital Territory, between July 1st and 31st, 2024. These convictions were based on charges filed against them by the anti-narcotics agency.
One of the key figures, 50-year-old Bolanle Lookman Dauda, was apprehended during an intelligence-led operation by NDLEA’s special unit at Ibiye, along the Lagos-Badagry expressway, as he attempted to cross the land border to deliver a consignment in Ghana on May 25th, 2024. At the time of his arrest, Dauda was found in possession of 42 blocks of cocaine weighing 47.5 kilograms.
A subsequent raid on his residence in Agbara, Ogun State, led to the discovery of an additional 10 kilograms of cocaine, bringing the total to 57.5 kilograms. He was sentenced to 21 years in prison by Justice Ambrose Allagoa of the Federal High Court, Lagos, or alternatively, a ₦30 million fine.
Another major figure, 34-year-old Ikeh Stanley Ifeanyi, was arrested at Idumota market in Lagos Island, where he was caught with 1,100 ampoules of the potent synthetic opioid fentanyl, weighing 6.48 kilograms. Fentanyl, which is 100 times more powerful than heroin, has been a leading cause of overdose deaths in the United States. Ifeanyi was sentenced to 14 years in prison or an option of a ₦2 million fine by Justice Kehinde Ogundare of the Federal High Court, Lagos.
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Christian Anyanwu, another trafficker, was arrested in November 2022 with 1.4 kilograms of methamphetamine concealed in custard tins, destined for Brazil. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison by Justice Yellin Bogoro of the Federal High Court, Lagos, with four years being mandatory without an option of a fine.
Other notable convictions include Moses Yakubu, who received a 25-year sentence, and Oluosun Okikiola, sentenced to 15 years, along with several others who were also handed lengthy prison terms for their roles in drug trafficking.
NDLEA Chairman/CEO, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), praised the efforts of the officers involved in these arrests and the judiciary for their swift adjudication. He emphasized that these convictions are a crucial step in the agency’s ongoing efforts to reduce drug supply and combat trafficking in Nigeria.
