PICTORIAL: 4 Drug Kingpins Bag 28 Years Jail Term, Forfeit VGC Houses, N67m, $50,000

Conviction, forfeiture of assets, historical blow to illicit drug trade, says Marwa

 

 

Four drug kingpins involved in the largest cocaine seizure in Nigeria’s anti-narcotics history were convicted by the Federal High Court in Lagos, following a major raid in 2022. These individuals—Soji Jubril Oke, 71; Wasiu Akinade, 55; Emmanuel Arinze Chukwu, 67; and Jamaican Kelvin Christopher Smith, 44—received various jail sentences totaling 28 years for their involvement in a major drug trafficking organization (DTO).

The convicts were involved in the possession and importation of over 2 tons (2,139.55 kilograms) of cocaine, which was seized during a well-coordinated operation by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). The cocaine was discovered at a residential estate in Ikorodu, Lagos, in September 2022. The raid followed intelligence gathered by NDLEA agents, who arrested the suspects in different parts of Lagos.

Following a diligent prosecution, Justice Yellim Bogoro sentenced the convicts as follows:

• Kelvin Christopher Smith (Jamaican) received 4 years imprisonment with hard labor.
• Emmanuel Arinze Chukwu was sentenced to a total of 16 years in prison.
• Soji Jubril Oke was sentenced to 5 years with hard labor.
• Wasiu Akinade received 3 years with hard labor.

Additionally, the convicts were ordered to forfeit assets obtained through their illicit activities, including vehicles, cash, and real estate:

• A Toyota Tacoma SUV (belonging to Emmanuel Chukwu).
• $50,000 and N55,099,509.50 in cash, both belonging to Emmanuel Chukwu.
• N9,003,168.06 and N3,052,295.20, cash assets linked to Wasiu Akinade.

In a separate suit, the NDLEA secured the final forfeiture of two properties associated with the drug cartel:

• A house at 6 Olokuola Crescent, Solebo Estate, Ikorodu, Lagos, which was used to store the cocaine.
• A house at J9, Road 3, Close 1, Victoria Garden City (VGC), Lagos, which was believed to have been purchased with the proceeds of drug trafficking.

The properties will now be disposed of or sold, with the proceeds directed to the Federal Government.

Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), the Chairman and Chief Executive of NDLEA, praised the agency’s operatives for their dedication in bringing the case to court. He highlighted the importance of the conviction as a significant blow to the drug cartels operating in Nigeria, sending a strong message that traffickers will face not only jail time but also the loss of all criminally acquired assets.

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