Crime

Four Drug Lords, Including Jamaican National, Sentenced to 28 Years in Prison, Forfeit Luxury Properties

Published by Tope Fakinlede on December 26th, 2024.

Four Drug Lords, Including Jamaican National, Sentenced to 28 Years in Prison, Forfeit Luxury Properties

Four prominent drug traffickers, including a Jamaican, have been sentenced to a total of 28 years in prison following their conviction for involvement in the historic 2.1-ton cocaine seizure in Lagos in 2022. The Federal High Court in Lagos, led by Justice Yellim Bogoro, handed down the sentences after the convicted individuals were found guilty of operating a major drug trafficking organization.

The convicted drug lords—Soji Jubril Oke (71), Wasiu Akinade (55), Emmanuel Arinze Chukwu (67), and Kelvin Christopher Smith (44), a Jamaican national—were charged with six counts related to conspiracy, drug trafficking, and the possession of over 2,139 kilograms of cocaine, the largest-ever single drug seizure in Nigeria’s history. The arrests were made following a highly coordinated raid by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on September 18, 2022, at a residence in Ikorodu, Lagos.

After more than two years of legal proceedings, Justice Bogoro sentenced the four men to varying terms of imprisonment with hard labor. Smith received four years, while Chukwu was given 16 years. Oke was sentenced to five years, and Akinade to three years. In addition to their prison terms, the convicts were ordered to forfeit significant assets, including luxury properties and cash linked to their criminal activities.

The forfeited assets include a grey Toyota Tacoma SUV, $50,000, and millions of naira in cash, all traced to the convicts. Furthermore, the court ruled that two properties—one in Ikorodu and another in Victoria Garden City (VGC), Lagos—be permanently seized by the Federal Government due to their connection to the drug cartel’s illicit operations.

The NDLEA also confirmed the final forfeiture of these properties following an additional court ruling in December 2024, solidifying the agency’s success in dismantling this large-scale drug operation. NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi emphasized that this case serves as a stark warning to drug cartels, signaling that those involved in drug trafficking not only face prison time but also risk losing their ill-gotten wealth and properties.

Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), Chairman of the NDLEA, praised the agency’s team for their thorough investigation and prosecution, calling this outcome a significant blow to drug trafficking in Nigeria.