Five drug traffickers jailed for 21 years over international cocaine, tramadol smuggling
Five members of an international drug trafficking network have been sentenced to a combined 21 years imprisonment following their arrest by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in connection with the smuggling of 68.9 kilograms of cocaine and tramadol through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos.
The convicts — Olasupo Michael Oladimeji, Muaezee Ademola Ogunbiyi, and Sola Adegoke — were arrested after NDLEA operatives intercepted 17.9 kilograms of cocaine concealed in textile materials and local charms bound for Sydney, Australia, at the airport’s export shed on August 26, 2025. Subsequent investigations led to the recovery of 20.5 kilograms of Canadian Loud from Ogunbiyi’s residence in Lekki and a black Range Rover SUV marked RBC 459 EJ from Adegoke’s home in Ikeja GRA.
The trio were arraigned before Justice Musa Kakaki of the Federal High Court, Lagos, on five counts (Charge No: FHC/L/925C/2025) on October 30, 2025, where they pleaded guilty to all charges. Delivering judgment on October 31, Justice Kakaki sentenced each of them to five years imprisonment without the option of a fine, totaling 15 years. The court also ordered the forfeiture of the recovered Range Rover SUV and a Toyota Venza to the Federal Government.
In a related development, two other drug kingpins — Obunike Joseph Obichukwu and Uzorchukwu Godspower Chukwurah — were convicted by Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa of the Federal High Court, Lagos, for attempting to smuggle 2.6 kilograms of cocaine and 27.9 kilograms of tramadol concealed in motor spare parts to Gabon on July 19, 2025.
Both defendants pleaded guilty to six counts under Charge No: FHC/L/980C/2025 and were each sentenced to three years imprisonment or an alternative fine of N2 million. The N4 million cash offered by Obunike as a bribe to NDLEA officers during the investigation was also forfeited to the Federal Government.
The NDLEA commended the successful convictions as another major breakthrough in its ongoing war against international drug syndicates.
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