Court sentences six drug traffickers to 156 years imprisonment

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 offences involving drug sales, 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 our correspondent was able to receive 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.

On Thursday, March 16, the trial judge, Justice Akintayo Aluko, found the four defendants guilty and sentenced them to five years in prison on count one and seven years in prison on counts two and three at the Federal High Court in Lagos, where they had been charged on three counts 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.

In spite of the judge's decision that the sentences should run consecutively, the four prisoners had the option of paying N20 million in lieu of their jail terms, the speaker continued.

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 N3 million 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 2:35 am on Sunday, January 22.”

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