Three Drug Kingpins, 16 Others Sentenced to 302 Years in Prison

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has announced the conviction and sentencing of three major drug kingpins alongside 16 other offenders, accumulating a total of 302 years in prison. The convicts were charged with trafficking various illicit substances, including cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, cannabis, and opioids.

NDLEA spokesman Femi Babafemi, in a statement on Friday, highlighted the scale of the operation that led to these convictions. He noted that these 19 individuals are among 414 drug traffickers and dealers convicted by the Federal High Court in regions spanning Benue, Bauchi, Edo, Lagos, Ogun, Gombe, and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, between July 1 and July 31, 2024.

Among the convicted is Bolanle Dauda, a 50-year-old kingpin apprehended on May 25, 2024. Dauda was caught by the NDLEA’s special operation unit during an intelligence-led raid at Ibiye, along the Lagos-Badagry expressway, as he attempted to cross the border to deliver a consignment in Ghana. He was subsequently arraigned before Hon. Justice Ambrose Allagoa of the Federal High Court, Lagos.

Babafemi detailed the evidence seized during the operation, stating, “At the point of his arrest, 42 blocks of cocaine weighing 47.5 kilograms were found on him. A swift follow-up operation at his residence in Ogun state led to the recovery of an additional eight blocks of cocaine, weighing 10 kilograms, bringing the total weight seized to 57.5 kilograms.”