The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency says five members of international organised criminal groups have been sentenced to a total of 21 years’ imprisonment in Lagos, following their arrest for drug trafficking through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja.
The NDLEA said three of the convicts — Olasupo Michael Oladimeji, Muaezee Ademola Ogunbiyi, and Sola Adegoke — were arrested after operatives intercepted 17.9 kilograms of cocaine concealed in textile materials and local charms destined for Sydney, Australia, at the airport’s export shed on August 26, 2025.
A statement on Friday by the agency’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, said further investigations led to the recovery of 20.5 kilograms of Canadian Loud (a strain of cannabis) from Ogunbiyi’s residence in Lekki, as well as a black Range Rover SUV with registration number RBC 459 EJ from Adegoke’s residence in Ikeja GRA.
“They were arraigned on five counts in charge number FHC/L/925C/2025 before Justice Musa Kakaki of the Federal High Court, Lagos, on October 30, 2025.
The accused persons later pleaded guilty to the charges against them.
“Delivering his judgment on October 31, Justice Kakaki sentenced each of them to five years’ imprisonment without the option of a fine, bringing the total number of years in jail for the three of them to 15 years.
“The court further ordered that the Range Rover SUV and a Toyota Venza car seized from the convicts in the course of the investigation be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria,” the statement partly read.
In a separate case, Babafemi said two other drug syndicate leaders — Obunike Obichukwu and Uzorchukwu Chukwurah — were arrested after NDLEA operatives intercepted 2.60 kilograms of cocaine and 27.90 kilograms of tramadol concealed in motor spare parts being transported to Gabon at the Lagos airport on July 19, 2025.
They were arraigned before Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa of the Federal High Court, Lagos, on November 4, under charge number FHC/L/980C/2025.
After pleading guilty, both men were convicted and sentenced to three years’ imprisonment each, or to a fine of N2 million, instead of the jail term.
The court also ordered the forfeiture of N4 million paid by Obunike as an attempted bribe to NDLEA officers.
The NDLEA noted that the convictions reflect its current strategy of targeting not only couriers but also cartel organisers and financial beneficiaries within drug syndicates, while pursuing the forfeiture of assets connected to drug crimes.
The convictions come amid the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency’s intensified crackdown on transnational narcotics syndicates operating through Nigerian airports.
In recent years, the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, has remained a major route for illicit drug movements to Europe, Asia, and parts of Africa, prompting the agency to strengthen surveillance around export terminals.
