In the effort to fight drug trafficking, three drug kingpins and 16 other offenders have been sentenced to a combined total of 302 years in prison. These individuals were convicted for trafficking and dealing in illicit drugs, including cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, cannabis, and opioids.
The convictions were announced by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on Friday. The agency’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, revealed that the 19 convicts were part of a larger group of 414 drug traffickers and dealers who were convicted by the Federal High Court in various states, including Benue, Bauchi, Edo, Lagos, Ogun, Gombe, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, between July 1st and 31st, 2024.
“Three drug kingpins and 16 other offenders have been convicted and sentenced to a total of 302 years in prison for trafficking and dealing in illicit drugs such as cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, cannabis, and opioids,” Babafemi said. He emphasized that the NDLEA’s diligent prosecution efforts led to these convictions.
One of the convicted kingpins, Bolanle Dauda, a 50-year-old, was arrested during a special operation by NDLEA operatives on May 25, 2024. Dauda was caught with 42 blocks of cocaine weighing 47.5 kilograms while attempting to cross the Lagos-Badagry expressway to deliver the drugs in Ghana.
A follow-up search at his residence in Ogun State uncovered an additional eight blocks of cocaine, bringing the total to 57.5 kilograms. Dauda was later arraigned before Justice Ambrose Allagoa of the Federal High Court in Lagos, who sentenced him to 21 years in prison or an option of a N30 million fine.
Another kingpin, 34-year-old Ikeh Stanley Ifeanyi, was arrested at the bustling Idumota market on Lagos Island. He was found in possession of 1,100 ampoules of fentanyl, a lethal synthetic opioid that is 100 times more potent than heroin.
Fentanyl has been responsible for over 70% of overdose deaths in the United States. Ifeanyi was subsequently sentenced to 14 years in prison by Justice Kehinde Ogundare of the Federal High Court in Lagos, with an option of a N2 million fine.
The third kingpin, Christian Anyanwu, was arrested on November 26, 2022, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos. He was caught with 1.4 kilograms of methamphetamine hidden inside custard tins, which were packed among cosmetics and foodstuffs destined for Brazil via a Qatar Airways flight. Justice Yellin Bogoro of the Federal High Court in Lagos sentenced Anyanwu to 16 years in prison, four of which are mandatory without the option of a fine.
Babafemi also highlighted other significant convictions in July 2024. Among them was Moses Yakubu, who received a 25-year sentence from Justice Rita Ajumogobia of the Federal High Court in Abuja. Another offender, Oluosun Okikiola, was sentenced to 15 years in prison by Justice A. An Okeke of the Federal High Court in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
In Makurdi, Benue State, Justice R.J. Abubakar sentenced Chanchan Terpase to seven years in prison. Meanwhile, Justice C.O. Obiozor of the Federal High Court in Benin, Edo State, sentenced Beauty Gani to 30 years in prison, with an option of an N8 million fine.
The NDLEA’s recent successes reflect its ongoing commitment to tackling drug trafficking in Nigeria. The agency has vowed to continue its efforts to dismantle drug cartels and bring offenders to justice. Babafemi reiterated the agency’s stance, saying, “There is no hiding place for drug cartels in Nigeria.”