A Federal High Court in Lagos has sentenced a businessman, Ajah Johnson Uchenna, and his wife, Rosemary Uchenna, to a combined 22 and a half years in prison for dealing in illicit drugs.
The couple was arrested on June 13, 2025, by operatives of the Department of State Security (DSS) in Ojo, Lagos, and transferred to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) along with 277.5kg of skunk, a strain of cannabis.
Justice Deinde 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 Ajah Uchenna was convicted and sentenced to five years imprisonment without an 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 ordered the sum of ₦3,407,000 recovered from the couple as proceeds of crime to be forfeited to the Federal Government.
This conviction is part of the NDLEA’s ongoing efforts to combat drug trafficking in Nigeria.
Other notable convictions include a 42-year-old Indian lady, Neetu Neetu, sentenced to five years imprisonment for importing heroin into Nigeria through the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, and a 42-year-old Angolan businessman, Mbala Dajou Abuba, sentenced to five years in prison for ingesting cocaine.
The NDLEA has also secured the final forfeiture of a multi-billion naira hotel and other assets used in illicit drug distribution.
