Justice Yellim Bogoro of the Federal High Court in Lagos has sentenced four drug kingpins to a total of 28 years imprisonment with hard labour following their involvement in the historic seizure of 2,139.55 kilograms of illicit drugs at a residential estate in Ikorodu in 2022.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), in a statement shared on its X handle on Thursday, identified the convicts as Soji Jubril Oke (71), Wasiu Akinade (55), Emmanuel Arinze Chukwu (67), and Kelvin Christopher Smith (44), a Jamaican national.
After more than two years of diligent prosecution, the court sentenced Smith to four years imprisonment with hard labour, Chukwu to 16 years, Oke to five years with hard labour, and Akinade to three years with hard labour. However, the judge granted varying options of fine to three of the convicts, except one who must serve his full sentence without an option of fine.
Additionally, the court ordered the forfeiture of assets linked to the drug cartel, including a grey Toyota Tacoma SUV, $50,000, ₦55,099,509.50 belonging to Chukwu, ₦9,003,168.06, and ₦3,052,295.20 linked to Akinade.
Two properties tied to the cartel were also forfeited to the federal government: one located at 6 Olokunola Street, Sholebo Estate, Ikorodu, and another at J9, Road 3, Close 1, Victoria Garden City (VGC) Estate, Lagos.
