A Federal High Court in Lagos State has sentenced four drug kingpins involved in the record-breaking seizure of 2,139.55 kilograms of cocaine in Ikorodu in 2022. The convicts, including three Nigerians and a Jamaican, received a combined 28 years of imprisonment after being found guilty in connection with the largest single cocaine bust in Nigeria’s history.
The convicts—Soji Jubril Oke, 71; Wasiu Akinade, 55; Emmanuel Arinze Chukwu, 67; and Jamaican national Kelvin Christopher Smith, 44—were arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) following a raid at 6 Olukuola Crescent, Solebo Estate, Ikorodu, Lagos, on the night of September 18 and early morning of September 19, 2022. During the raid, law enforcement officials uncovered over 2.1 tons of cocaine, marking the largest drug seizure in the country to date.
The four men were charged with six counts under charge number FHC/L/607C/2022 in October and December 2022. Their sentences, handed down by Justice Yellim Bogoro, include varying prison terms: Smith received a four-year sentence, Chukwu was sentenced to 16 years, Oke to five years, and Akinade to three years. However, the court also allowed certain options of fines for the convicts, with one being required to serve the full jail term without an option of a fine.
As part of the conviction, the court ordered the forfeiture of various assets connected to the drug trafficking operation. These assets include a grey Toyota Tacoma SUV registered in Emmanuel Chukwu’s name, alongside substantial amounts of cash belonging to both Chukwu and Akinade, amounting to over ₦67 million and $50,000.
In a separate legal development, the NDLEA also secured the final forfeiture of two properties linked to the drug cartel. The properties, located in Ikorodu and Victoria Garden City, Lagos, were used for storing the cocaine and are believed to have been purchased with proceeds from drug trafficking. The court has ordered the sale or disposal of these properties, with the proceeds to be paid to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The case underscores the ongoing efforts of the NDLEA to curb drug trafficking in Nigeria and send a strong message to those involved in such illicit activities. The sentencing is seen as a significant step in dismantling drug cartels operating in the country.
