Four drug kingpins involved in the historic seizure of 2,139.55 kilograms of cocaine at an Ikorodu residential estate in 2022 have been sentenced by a Federal High Court in Lagos State.
The convicts, Soji Jubril Oke, 71; Wasiu Akinade, 55; Emmanuel Arinze Chukwu, 67; and Kelvin Christopher Smith, 44, a Jamaican, were arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency in various locations across Lagos between Sunday night, September 18, and Monday morning, September 19, 2022.
The arrests followed a raid at 6 Olukuola Crescent, Solebo Estate, Ikorodu, Lagos, where over 2.1 tons of cocaine were seized. This recovery remains the largest single cocaine seizure in Nigeria’s history.
The convicts were charged with six counts under charge number FHC/L/607C/2022 in October and December 2022.
The trial of a fifth suspect, Oguntolure Sunday, who was arraigned alongside them, is still ongoing.
In a statement on Thursday, the NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, disclosed that Justice Yellim Bogoro sentenced the convicts to a combined 28 years of imprisonment with hard labour.
The statement reads, “The drug kingpins were picked from hotels and their hideouts in different parts of Lagos between the night of Sunday 18th and Monday 19th September 2022.
“After over two years of diligent prosecution, the trial judge handed the Jamaican, Kelvin Christopher Smith, four years imprisonment with hard labour; Emmanuel Arinze Chukwu received a total of 16 years; Soji Jubril Oke got five years with hard labour; and Wasiu Akinade three years with hard labour. The trial judge, however, gave the convicts varying options of fine, except one of them who will serve his full jail term without an option of fine.
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“They were also to forfeit a grey-colored Toyota Tacoma SUV marked AAA-734HT registered in the name of Emmanuel Chukwu; $50,000.00 USD (Fifty Thousand US Dollars) belonging to Chukwu; N55,099,509.50 (Fifty-Five Million, Ninety-Nine Thousand, Five Hundred and Nine Naira, Fifty Kobo only) also belonging to Chukwu; the sum of N9,003,168.06 (Nine Million Three Thousand, One Hundred and Sixty-Eight Naira Six Kobo only) belonging to Wasiu Akinade, and N3,052,295.20 (Three Million, Fifty-Two Thousand, Two Hundred and Ninety-Five Naira Twenty Kobo only), also belonging to Akinade.”
Babafemi added that the Agency also, in another suit marked FHC/L/MISC/672/2024 and filed before Justice Bogoro on 9 December 2024 after an initial interim forfeiture order, secured the final forfeiture of two houses linked to members of the drug cartel.
According to the statement, the trial court directed, “That an Order of final forfeiture and confiscation is granted in favour of the Federal Government of Nigeria, Landed Property/House Number 6 Olokunola Street, Sholebo Estate, Ikorodu Lagos, Lagos State, as contained in Exhibit NDLEA 2A, 2B, and 2C attached to this application used for the storage and concealment of 2,139.55kg (More Than Two Tons) Cocaine, an illicit substance similar to Heroin and LSD.
“That an Order of final forfeiture and confiscation is granted in favour of the Federal Government of Nigeria, Landed Property/House Number J9, Road 3, Close 1, Victoria Garden City (VGC) Estate, Lagos, Lagos State, as contained in Exhibit NDLEA 3 attached to this application reasonably believed to have been bought with proceeds derived from trafficking in illicit drug substances (proceeds of crime) as in relief 1 of this Motion.
“That an Order is granted directing the sale or disposal by any other means provided by law of the forfeited House/Landed Property by the Applicant and the payment of the proceeds therefrom to the Federal Government of Nigeria.”
Babafemi said, while commending all the officers and men of the Agency involved in the extensive investigation and prosecution of members of the drug cartel, that the Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) stated that the case is a historical blow to the drug cartels and a strong warning that they’ll not only go to jail but will equally lose all their investments in illicit drug consignments, including all the properties and wealth acquired through the criminal trade.
