Justice Yellim Bogoro of the Federal High Court in Lagos has sentenced four drug kingpins to a total of 28 years imprisonment with hard labor for their roles in the historic seizure of 2,139.55 kilograms of illicit drugs at an Ikorodu residential estate in 2022.
The convicts, identified by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) as Soji Jubril Oke (71), Wasiu Akinade (55), Emmanuel Arinze Chukwu (67), and Kelvin Christopher Smith (44), a Jamaican national, were handed varying jail terms after a two-year prosecution.
In a statement released on its X handle, the NDLEA confirmed the sentencing details:
Kelvin Smith was sentenced to four years imprisonment with hard labor.
Emmanuel Chukwu received a 16-year sentence with hard labor.
Soji Oke was sentenced to five years with hard labor.
Wasiu Akinade was given three years with hard labor.
Justice Bogoro also imposed financial penalties on the convicts, offering some the option of fines, except for one who will serve his full jail term without such an option.
The court ordered the forfeiture of assets linked to the convicts, including:
A grey Toyota Tacoma SUV.
$50,000 USD and ₦55,099,509.50 belonging to Emmanuel Chukwu.
₦9,003,168.06 and ₦3,052,295.20 linked to Wasiu Akinade.
Additionally, two houses connected to the cartel—one on Olokunola Street, Sholebo Estate, Ikorodu, and another at Victoria Garden City (VGC), Lagos—were permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.
Justice Bogoro directed that the forfeited properties be sold, with the proceeds deposited into government coffers.
The Ikorodu drug bust in 2022 was one of Nigeria’s largest narcotics seizures, uncovering a sophisticated operation run by the convicted cartel.
The case underscored the NDLEA’s ongoing commitment to tackling drug trafficking in Nigeria.