December 26, (THEWILL) – The Federal High Court, Lagos, presided over by Justice Yellim Bogoro, has convicted and sentenced four drug kingpins to various jail terms totalling twenty-eight (28) years with hard labour.
The convicts – Soji Jubril Oke, 71; Wasiu Akinade, 55; Emmanuel Arinze Chukwu, 67; and Kelvin Christopher Smith, 44, a Jamaican, were arrested in connection with the historic seizure of 2,139.55 kilograms of cocaine at an Ikorodu residential estate in 2022.
They were charged in October and December 2022 with six counts in charge of conspiracy to form and operate a drug trafficking organisation (DTO); management and financing of a DTO; and importation and possession of 2,139.55 kilograms of cocaine, among others.
Operatives of a special operations unit of NDLEA had in a well-coordinated and intelligence-led operation on Sunday, September 18, 2022, raided a house located at 6 Olukuola Crescent, Solebo estate, Ikorodu, Lagos, where the over 2.1 tonnes of cocaine were seized, the largest singular cocaine seizure in the history of Nigeria’s anti-narcotic operations. 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, 4 years imprisonment with hard labour; Emmanuel Arinze Chukwu got a total of 16 years; Soji Jubril Oke got 5 years with hard labour and Wasiu Akinade, 3 years with hard labour. The trial judge, however, gave the convicts varying options of fine with the exception of one of them who will serve his full jail term without an option of fine.
They were also to forfeit a grey colour Toyota Tacoma SUV marked AAA-734HT, registered in the name of Emmanuel Chukwu; US$50,000:00 (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.
The Agency, in another suit marked FHC/L/MISC/672/2024 and filed before Justice Bogoro on 9th 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 trial court, “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 Tonnes) 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 be 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.”
The trial of the fifth suspect, Oguntolure Sunday, arraigned with them is still ongoing in court.
While commending all the officers and men of the Agency involved in the extensive investigation and prosecution of members of the drug cartel, Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) said the case is historic.
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