Court sentence six drug traffickers to 156 years imprisonment in Lagos, Ogun

The Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency brought charges against six drug traffickers, and the Federal High Court in Lagos and Ogun states sentenced them to a combined 156 years in jail for offenses involving drug sale, transportation, and conspiracy to carry illegal drugs.

Ahmed Abdulsabur, a 27-year-old drug dealer, was the worst hit. He was apprehended by NDLEA agents in 2022, and he was charged in charge number FHC/AB/20C/2022 at the Federal High Court, Abeokuta, presided over by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik.

Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA’s director of media and advocacy, revealed in a statement released on Tuesday.

Judge Abdulmalik found Abdulsabur guilty and sentenced him to 10 years in prison on each of the six counts against him, for a total of 60 years in prison, in her ruling on the case.

In a related decision, Justice Abdulmalik also handed down a 20-year prison term to 32-year-old dealer Olumide Elegbede for the two charges that were made against him under the charge number FHC/AB/128C/2I. The judge decided that the sentences in both cases will be served concurrently.

Meanwhile, the trial judge, Justice Akintayo Aluko, found the four defendants, Okechukwu Umeh, Lanre Adebayo, Adigun Adeshina, and Emmanuel Omijeh, guilty and sentenced each of them to five years on count one; and seven years each on counts two and three on Thursday, March 16, at the Federal High Court in Lagos where they were charged with under charge number FHC/L/87c/2023.

“This brings the total number of years for each of them to 19 years jail term and the four of them to 76 years imprisonment.

“The convicts Okechukwu Umeh, 41, Lanre Ismaila, 47, Adeshina Fatai, 50, and Emmanuel Omijeh, 42, were arrested in connection with the seizure and N3million offered as bribe kept as part of the exhibits for their prosecution.” Babafemi noted.

He added that while the judge ruled that the sentences should run concurrently, he also gave the four convicts the option of paying N20million in lieu of the jail terms.

Babafemi added, “This is in addition to granting the application by the NDLEA for the final forfeiture of a white colour Ford bus with registration number PHC 315 ZT, used in conveying 532. 8 kilograms of Loud variant of cannabis on the day of their arrest, Sunday, January 22, 2023 along Lagos/Ibadan expressway.

“The court also granted the final forfeiture of N3million offered as bribe by the convicts to NDLEA officers.

“The drugs concealed with ‘take away’ food packs in 19 big cartons were seized in the white Ford bus heading to Port Harcourt, Rivers state along Lagos-Ibadan expressway at 2:35am on Sunday, January 22.”