2.1 tonnes cocaine seizure: Four drug lords get 28 years in jail, forfeit VGC houses, N67m, $50,000

FOUR drug kingpins arrested in connection with the seizure of 2,139.55 kilogrammes of cocaine at an Ikorodu residential estate in 2022 have been convicted by a Federal High Court, Lagos, presided over by Justice Yellim Bogoro, who sentenced them to various jail terms totaling 28 years with hard labour.

The convicts, Soji Jubril Oke (71), Wasiu Akinade (55), Emmanuel Arinze Chukwu (67) and Kelvin Christopher Smith (44), a Jamaican, were charged with six counts in charge number: FHC/L/607C/2022 in October and December 2022, while the trial of the fifth suspect, Oguntolure Sunday, arraigned along with them, is still ongoing in court.

The charges border on conspiracy to form and operate a drug trafficking organization (DTO); management and financing of a DTO; importation and possession of 2,139.55 kilograms of cocaine, among others.

Operatives of a special operations unit of NDLEA had in a well-coordinated and intelligence-led operation on Sunday, September 18, 2022 raided a house located at Number 6, Olukuola crescent, Solebo Estate, Ikorodu, Lagos where the over 2.1 tonnes of cocaine were seized, the largest singular cocaine seizure in the history of Nigeria’s anti-narcotic operations.

The drug kingpins were picked from hotels and their hideouts in different parts of Lagos between the night of Sunday 18th and Monday 19th September, 2022.

After over two years of prosecution, the trial judge handed the Jamaican, Kelvin Christopher Smith four years imprisonment with hard labour; Emmanuel Arinze Chukwu got a total of 16 years; Soji Jubril Oke got five years with hard labour and Wasiu Akinade three years with hard labour.

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The trial judge, however, gave the convicts varying options of fine with the exception of one of them who will serve his full jail term without an option of fine.

They were also to forfeit a grey colour Toyota Tacoma SUV marked AAA-734HT registered in the name of Emmanuel Chukwu; $50,000:00 belonging to Chukwu; N55,099,509.50, also belonging to Chukwu; the sum of N9,003,168.06 belonging to Wasiu Akinade and N3,052,295.20, also belonging to Akinade.

The agency also in another suit marked FHC/L/ MISC/672/2024 and filed before Justice Bogoro on December 9, 2024, after an initial interim forfeiture order, secured the final forfeiture of two houses linked to members of the drug cartel.