Two British citizens bag eight years in jail for smuggling 51kg of Cannabis

A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has sentenced two British citizens, Oyedipe Andrew Adejuwon and Mhizha Jordan Alexander Tatendra, to a total of eight years’ imprisonment for conspiring to import 51.10 kilograms of cannabis sativa into Nigeria.

The duo, arraigned by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on a three-count charge, pleaded guilty to all counts before Justice Musa Kakaki.

The offence involved the illegal importation of narcotics from the United Arab Emirates into Nigeria.

According to the NDLEA, Tatendra was arrested during the inward clearance of Emirates Airlines passengers on May 14, 2025, at the E-Arrival Hall of Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

He was found with 51.10 kilograms of cannabis sativa concealed in his luggage.

The court heard that Adejuwon, a Nigerian-born British citizen, procured Tatendra to carry out the smuggling operation.

ALSO READ: DBN awards N13m in grants to tech startups

Addressing the court, NDLEA counsel Abu Ibrahim stated that both men conspired with unknown individuals to traffic the banned substance into the country.

Following their guilty pleas, the prosecutor reviewed the case facts and urged the court to convict and sentence the defendants accordingly.

In his judgment, Justice Kakaki convicted both men on all three counts and sentenced them to two years’ imprisonment on each count, with the sentences to run concurrently.

He also ordered that the jail terms take effect from the date of their arrest—May 14, 2025.

The charge, marked FHC/L/421/2025, stated that the defendants conspired with others to import 51.10 kilograms of cannabis sativa, an act contrary to and punishable under Section 14(b) of the NDLEA Act.

It also alleged that Adejuwon procured Tatendra to carry out the importation—an offence under Section 21(2)(d) and punishable under Section 11(a) of the same Act.

The third count stated that Tatendra, without lawful authority, imported the drugs upon his arrival in Lagos, an offence punishable under Section 11(a) of the NDLEA Act.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE