The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has secured convictions for three drug kingpins and 16 others, resulting in a combined prison sentence of 302 years.
According to NDLEA spokesman Femi Babafemi, the individuals were found guilty of trafficking and dealing illicit drugs.
According to the agency, the convicts were accused of trafficking cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, cannabis, and opioids among others.
To Babafemi, the 19 convicts lead the list of 414 drug traffickers and dealers convicted by the Federal High Court across Benue, Bauchi, Edo, Lagos, Ogun, Gombe, and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, between July 1st and 31st, 2024, following charges brought against them by the end NDLEA.
“Three drug kingpins and 16 other offenders have been convicted and sentenced to a total of Three Hundred and Two years in prison for trafficking and dealing in illicit drugs such as cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, cannabis and opioids following their arrest and diligent prosecution by the NDLEA,” he said.
“The 19 convicts top the list of 414 drug traffickers and dealers convicted by the Federal High Court in Benue, Bauchi, Edo, Lagos, Ogun, Gombe and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT Abuja between July 1st – 31st, 2024, based on charges filed against them by the anti-narcotics agency.”
One of the three kingpins, a 50-year-old Bolanle Dauda was arrested during an intelligence-led raid by operatives of a special operation unit in NDLEA at Ibiye, along Lagos-Badagry expressway while attempting to cross the land border to deliver the consignment in Ghana on May 25, 2024.
He was subsequently arraigned before Hon. Justice Ambrose Allagoa of the Federal High Court, Lagos in charge number FHC/L/537C/2024.
“At the point of his arrest, 42 blocks of cocaine weighing 47.5 kilograms were found on him. A swift follow-up operation in his residence at Plot 24/25 OPIC extension, Petedo road, Agbara, Ogun state, led to the recovery of an additional eight blocks of the same drug weighing 10kg, bringing the total weight of the cocaine seized from him to 57.5 kilograms,” Babafemi said.
