NDLEA secures 22 years jail term for couple over drug trafficking in Lagos

…As Indian lady, Angola Bzman, 1 other bag 21 years jail in Kano, Enugu.

…Secures final forfeiture of multi-billion naira Lagos hotel, cars used for illicit drug distribution

By Kingsley Omonobi

A businessman, Ajah Uchenna and his wife, Rosemary, have been sentenced to 22 and a half years imprisonment by Justice Deinde Dipeolu of a Federal High Court in Lagos for dealing in illicit drugs.

Spokesman of NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, said: “The couple was first arrested on June 13, by operatives of the Department of State Security, DSS, in Ojo area of the state and transferred to NDLEA along with 277.5kg skunk, a strain of cannabis.

“While they were still being investigated in custody, credible intelligence revealed that the family business was going on in their house.

“This led to a raid of their home and a packing store where 231kg of same substance was recovered by NDLEA operatives on July 1.

“They were subsequently arraigned before a Federal High Court, Lagos on a four-count charge of conspiracy, dealing and storage of 414.2 kilograms of cannabis sativa.”

Delivering his judgment on the case on Monday, Justice Dipeolu convicted Mrs. Rosemary Uchenna on counts 1, 2, and 3 and sentenced her to 17 years in prison without an option of fine, while her husband, Johnson, was convicted and sentenced to five years imprisonment without option of fine on count 1 and six months in jail on count 4 with an option of N1 million fine.

In addition to the jail terms, the trial judge also ordered the sum of N3.407million recovered from the couple as proceeds of crime be forfeited to the Federal Government.

Similarly, a Federal High Court in Kano presided by Justice Simon Amobeda has convicted and sentenced a 42-year-old Indian lady, Neetu Neetu to five years imprisonment for importing 72 parcels of heroin factory sealed in wafer wraps and packaged as chocolates, weighing 11 kilograms into Nigeria through the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) Kano.

The class A drug consignment was recovered from Neetu’s luggage after a thorough search, following processed credible intelligence, during an inward clearance of Qatar Airways flight QR1431 from Bangkok, Thailand via Vietnam and Doha at the arrival hall of the Kano airport on March 14, 2025.

She was subsequently arraigned in charge before Justice Amobeda, who eventually sentenced her to 10 years on two counts with an option of N2million fine.

In like manner, a 42-year-old Angolan businessman, Mbala Abuba was convicted and sentenced to five years in prison by Justice Mohammed Yunusa of a Federal High Court in Kano, following his arrest and arraignment by NDLEA for ingesting 120 pellets of cocaine weighing 1.829 kilograms.

Abuba who is from the Zaire province in Angola was arrested on February 25, 2025, at the screening point of the Kano airport while trying to board Egypt Air flight MS 880 to Istanbul, Turkey via Cairo.

Equally, a Federal High Court in Enugu has convicted another drug trafficker Eze Ikenna on two counts of unlawful trafficking and possession of 11.20 kilograms of cocaine, brought against him by the NDLEA in charge number FHC/EN/CS/9/2023.

He was arrested on January 20, 2023, by NDLEA operatives at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, upon arrival from Brazil via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia with 11.20 kilograms of cocaine concealed in herbal tea sachets.

He was subsequently arraigned before Justice M. Umar of the Federal High Court, Enugu, who eventually sentenced him to three years imprisonment on each count, totalling six years, while the sentence will run concurrently, effective from May 20, 2023.

In yet another high impact breakthrough in its ongoing war against illicit drug trafficking across Nigeria, the NDLEA has secured the final forfeiture of a multi-billion Naira 80-room Hotel and Lounge in Victoria Island, Lagos linked to an illicit drug trafficking cartel along with other assets.

The 80-room hotel in Victoria Island, Lagos used as cover for distributing illicit substances was raided between April 25 and 26, 2025, by NDLEA operatives, who after hours of combing the rooms recovered 589 bags of Canadian Loud, a strong strain of cannabis with a total weight of 417.3 kilograms worth N1.042billion in street value.

Forfeited along with the landed property situated at No. 16, Waziri Ibrahim Street off Elsie Femi Pearse Road, Victoria Island, Lagos, include Toyota Sienna Vehicle marked KJA 79 HJ; Volkswagen Delivery Van numbered AAA 525 JE; KIA Ceranto Car with plate number BDG 860 GQ; Black Colour Land Cruiser Prado with plate number AKD 472 DZ; Red Colour.

Others are a Grand Caravan Dodge with plate number APP 847 YF; White Colour Mazda Bus marked KTU 241 AAA; Mercedes Benz Truck with registration number ASB 500 XY; Gold Colour Toyota Corolla Car with registration number EKY 295 JT; Ash Colour Sienna Mini Bus; 84 Television Sets; 70 Air New Conditioners; and 13 New Fridges.

The final forfeiture orders were issued on July 18, 2025, by Justice Ibrahim Kala, following the motion number FHC/L/MISC/447/2025 filed by NDLEA.

Reacting to the conviction and forfeiture court judgements, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig Gen Mohamed Marwa (retd) commended the various commands of the Agency, their officers and men that handled the various cases as well as the judiciary for delivering prompt judgements to strengthen the deterrent effect of NDLEA efforts.

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