Forty-eight years in prison for four Lagos drug lords, forfeiting VGC homes

Four drug  lords involved in the historic seizure of 2,139.55  kilos of cocaine  from a residential property in Ikorodu in 2022 have been sentenced by a Federal High Court in  Lagos.

The convicts  – Soji Jubril Oke, 71; Wasiu Akinade, 55; Emmanuel Arinze Chukwu, 67; and Kelvin Christopher Smith, 44, a  Jamaican – were arrested by  operatives of the  Nigerian Drug Enforcement Agency  at various locations  in Lagos between  the evening of Sunday, September  18 and  the morning of Monday, September 19,  2022.
The arrests followed a raid at  No. 6 Olukuola Crescent, Solebo Estate, Ikorodu, Lagos, where over 2.1  tonnes of cocaine  was seized. This  seizure remains the largest in  the history of Nigeria.
The convicts were charged with six counts under charge number FHC/L/607C/2022 in October and December  2022. Christmas in  Austria, where tradition meets a  touch of  mystery0:00 /  0:00
Christmas in  Austria, where tradition meets mystery0:00 /  1:01
The trial of a fifth suspect, Oguntolure Sunday, who was  charged alongside them, is still  ongoing.
In a statement on Thursday, NDLEA  spokesman Femi  Babafemi said Judge Yellim Bogoro sentenced the convicts to a  total of 28 years  in prison with hard  labour.
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The statement  read in part: "The trial judge  sentenced Jamaican Kelvin Christopher  Smith to four years  in prison with hard  labor; Emmanuel Arinze Chukwu  to a total of 16 years; Soji Jubril Oke was sentenced to five years  in prison and Wasiu Akinade  to three years  in prison.
"The trial  judge however gave the convicts  different options  for fines, except for one who  will have to serve the  entire prison sentence without  the possibility of  fines. He also ordered  the confiscation of a grey Toyota Tacoma SUV (registration number AAA-734HT) registered in the name of Emmanuel Chukwu,  ₦50,000 belonging to Chukwu, ₦55,099,509.50 also belonging to Chukwu, and  ₦0.080. ₦ 3,052,295.20 also  belongs to Akinade."
In another development, the NDLEA  has secured the final forfeiture of two properties linked to the drug cartel in a  case with reference FHC/L/MISC/672/2024 and filed before  the Bogoro  Magistrates' Court on December 9,  2024. Babafemi quoted the court as  saying: "A final order of forfeiture is  hereby granted in favour of the Federal Government of Nigeria for  the land/house number 6 Olokunola Street, Solebo Estate, Ikorodu, Lagos State, used for the storage and concealment of  2,139.55kg. of  cocaine. , an  illegal substance.
"A final order of forfeiture is also granted in favour of the Federal Government of Nigeria for  the land/house number J9,  Street 3, Close 1, Victoria Garden City Estate, Lagos State,  which is reasonably believed to have been  acquired with  the proceeds  of drug  trafficking.
"An order is  hereby made directing the sale or disposal of the  confiscated property by any lawful means, with the proceeds  payable to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

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