A Federal High Court in Lagos has sentenced four drug kingpins to a combined 28 years of imprisonment with hard labor for trafficking 2,139.55kg of cocaine. The convictions follow a September 2022 raid by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at a property in Ikorodu, Lagos, where 2.1 tons of cocaine were seized—the largest haul in Nigeria’s anti-narcotics history.
The defendants—Soji Jubril Oke, 71; Wasiu Akinade, 55; Emmanuel Arinze Chukwu, 67; and Kelvin Christopher Smith, 44, a Jamaican—faced six charges, including conspiracy, managing and financing a drug trafficking organization, and possession of cocaine. A fifth defendant, Oguntolure Sunday, is still on trial.
Justice Yellim Bogoro sentenced Smith to four years imprisonment, Chukwu to 16 years, Oke to five years, and Akinade to three years. Most were given options of fines, except for one convict who must serve the full jail term.
Additionally, the court ordered the forfeiture of several assets, including a Toyota Tacoma SUV, $50,000 USD, and over ₦67 million linked to Chukwu and Akinade. Two properties associated with the drug cartel—one in Ikorodu and another in Victoria Garden City (VGC), Lagos—were also permanently confiscated.
The properties will be sold, with proceeds directed to the Federal Government of Nigeria. The NDLEA secured these forfeitures through a separate legal suit filed in December 2024, following an earlier interim order.
