Five members of international organised criminal groups (IOCG) recently arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have been sentenced to a total of 21 years imprisonment for their involvement in the trafficking of 68.9 kilograms of cocaine and tramadol through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos.
According to a statement by Femi Babafemi, Director of Media and Advocacy at the NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja, the convicts — Olasupo Michael Oladimeji, Muaezee Ademola Ogunbiyi, and Sola Adegoke — were leaders of one of the drug cartels intercepted by the agency.
They were arrested following the seizure of 17.9 kilograms of cocaine concealed in textile materials and local charms bound for Sydney, Australia, at the export shed of the MMIA on August 26, 2025.
During the course of investigation, NDLEA operatives recovered 20.5 kilograms of Canadian Loud (a strain of cannabis) from Ogunbiyi’s home in Lekki, Lagos, and a black Range Rover SUV with registration number RBC 459 EJ from Adegoke’s residence in Ikeja GRA.
The trio were later arraigned on a five-count charge (No. FHC/L/925C/2025) before Justice Musa Kakaki of the Federal High Court, Lagos, on October 30, 2025, where they all pleaded guilty.
Delivering judgment on October 31, 2025, Justice Kakaki sentenced each of them to five years imprisonment without an option of fine, bringing the total jail term for the three convicts to 15 years. The court also ordered the forfeiture of the Range Rover SUV and a Toyota Venza car seized during the investigation to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
In a related development, two other drug kingpins — Obunike Joseph Obichukwu and Uzorchukwu Godspower Chukwurah — were also convicted for attempting to export 2.6 kilograms of cocaine and 27.9 kilograms of tramadol concealed in motor spare parts destined for Gabon through the Lagos airport on July 19, 2025.
After thorough investigation, both were arraigned before Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa of the Federal High Court, Lagos, on a six-count charge (No. FHC/L/980C/2025). Upon arraignment on November 4, 2025, they pleaded guilty to all charges.
Justice Lewis-Allagoa thereafter sentenced each defendant to three years imprisonment or an alternative fine of ₦2 million. The court also ordered the forfeiture of ₦4 million offered as bribe money by Obunike to NDLEA officers during investigation to the Federal Government.
The NDLEA reiterated its commitment to dismantling international drug networks and bringing offenders to justice, warning that no criminal enterprise will escape the long arm of the law.
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