NDLEA’s Historic Victory: Four Drug Kingpins Jailed, Assets Worth Millions Seized In Landmark Ruling

NDLEA’s Historic Victory: Four Drug Kingpins Jailed, Assets Worth Millions Seized In Landmark Ruling

In a groundbreaking legal victory, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has secured 28 years of combined imprisonment for four drug kingpins involved in Nigeria’s largest-ever cocaine seizure of 2.1 tons in Ikorodu, Lagos. The landmark ruling,…NDLEA’s Historic Victory: Four Drug Kingpins Jailed, Assets Worth Millions Seized In Landmark Ruling

handed down by Justice Yellim Bogoro of the Federal High Court, also resulted in the forfeiture of millions of naira, US dollars, and luxury assets linked to the convicted traffickers.

The convicts include:

• Soji Jubril Oke (71), sentenced to 5 years of hard labor
• Wasiu Akinade (55), sentenced to 3 years of hard labor
• Emmanuel Arinze Chukwu (67), sentenced to 16 years
• Kelvin Christopher Smith (44, Jamaican), sentenced to 4 years of hard labor

Additionally, assets seized include:

• A Toyota Tacoma SUV
• $50,000 in cash
• ₦55,099,509.50, among other funds

Two prime properties—one in Solebo Estate, Ikorodu, and another in the high-end Victoria Garden City (VGC), Lagos—were also confiscated. These properties, Justice Bogoro ruled, were purchased with proceeds from illicit drug trafficking and will be sold, with funds directed to the Federal Government.

The bust took place on September 18, 2022, following a high-level NDLEA operation, where 2,139.55 kg of cocaine was seized from a property in Ikorodu. The kingpins were arrested in various locations across Lagos. NDLEA Chairman, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), praised the investigation team for their diligence, highlighting the significance of the court’s decision as a major win in the battle against drug syndicates.

“This judgment sends a clear message to drug traffickers: they will face not only jail time but also the confiscation of ill-gotten wealth,” Marwa stated.

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