4 drug kingpins jailed, forfeit houses, N67m, $50,000 to FG

Four drug kingpins arrested in connection with the seizure of 2,139.55 kilograms of cocaine at an Ikorodu residential estate in 2022 have been convicted and sentenced to prison by a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos State.

The court presided over by Justice Yellim Bogoro sentenced the drug kingpins to various jail terms totalling 28 years with hard labour.

The NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, made this known in a statement on Thursday, December 26, 2024.

The convicts – Soji Jubril Oke, 71; Wasiu Akinade, 55; Emmanuel Arinze Chukwu, 67; and Kelvin Christopher Smith, 44, a Jamaican – were charged with six-count charges bordering on conspiracy to form and operate a drug trafficking organisation (DTO), management and financing of a DTO, and importation and possession of 2,139.55 kilograms of cocaine, among others.

Babafemi stated that the operatives of a special operations unit of NDLEA had in an operation on September 18, 2022, raided a house located at 6 Olukuola Crescent, Solebo estate, Ikorodu in Lagos State where over 2.1 tons of cocaine were seized, the largest singular cocaine seizure in the history of Nigeria’s anti-narcotic operations.

He said the drug kingpins were apprehended at hotels and their hideouts in different parts of Lagos in September 2022.

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The NDLEA spokesman noted: “After over two years of diligent prosecution, the trial judge handed the Jamaican, Kelvin Christopher Smith four years imprisonment with hard labour; Emmanuel Arinze Chukwu got a total of 16 years; Soji Jubril Oke got five years with hard labour and Wasiu Akinade three years with hard labour.

“The trial judge however gave the convicts varying options of fine with the exception of one of them who will serve his full jail term without an option of fine.”

Babafemi said the convicts were also to forfeit a grey colour Toyota Tacoma SUV registered in the name of Emmanuel Chukwu, $50,000 belonging to Chukwu, N55,099,509  also belonging to Chukwu, N9,003,168 belonging to Akinade, and N3,052,295 also belonging to Akinade.

Babafemi disclosed that the NDLEA, in another suit filed before Justice Bogoro on December 9, 2024, after an initial interim forfeiture order, also secured the final forfeiture of two houses linked to members of the drug cartel.

While commending all the anti-narcotic officers involved in the extensive investigation and prosecution of members of the drug cartel, the Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), said the case was a historical blow to the drug cartels and a strong warning that they will not only go to jail but will equally lose all their investments in illicit drug consignments including all the properties and wealth acquired through the criminal trade.

The Star