Five members of international drug cartels have been sentenced to a total of 21 years imprisonment following their arrest by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) over the trafficking of cocaine and opioids through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos.
According to a statement by the NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, on Friday, the convicts were involved in two separate cases involving the smuggling of 68.9 kilograms of cocaine and tramadol bound for Australia and Gabon.
The first syndicate comprised Olasupo Michael Oladimeji, Muaezee Ademola Ogunbiyi, and Sola Adegoke, who were arrested after NDLEA officers intercepted 17.9 kilograms of cocaine concealed in textile materials and local charms being shipped to Sydney, Australia on August 26, 2025.
During follow-up raids, operatives also recovered 20.5 kilograms of Canadian Loud — a potent strain of cannabis — from Ogunbiyi’s home in Lekki, while a black Range Rover SUV (RBC 459 EJ) was seized from Adegoke’s residence in Ikeja GRA.
The trio were arraigned on five counts before Justice Musa Kakaki of the Federal High Court, Lagos (Charge No. FHC/L/925C/2025) on October 30, where they pleaded guilty. In his judgment delivered on October 31, Justice Kakaki sentenced each to five years imprisonment without the option of fine, bringing their combined jail term to 15 years.
The court also ordered the forfeiture of the Range Rover SUV and a Toyota Venza car recovered during the investigation to the Federal Government.
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In a related case, Obunike Joseph Obichukwu and Uzorchukwu Godspower Chukwurah, leaders of another transnational drug ring, were arrested after NDLEA operatives intercepted 2.6 kilograms of cocaine and 27.9 kilograms of tramadol concealed in motor spare parts en route to Gabon through the Lagos airport on July 19, 2025.
They were arraigned before Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa of the Federal High Court, Lagos (Charge No. FHC/L/980C/2025) on six counts and pleaded guilty on November 4.
After reviewing the facts of the case, the court convicted and sentenced each to three years imprisonment or a fine of ₦2 million in lieu of jail. The judge further ordered that the ₦4 million offered by Obunike as a bribe to NDLEA officers be forfeited to the Federal Government.
The NDLEA reaffirmed its commitment to dismantling international drug trafficking syndicates and ensuring that convicted offenders face the full weight of the law.
