Ayanwale drug conviction sees woman collapse after sentencing in Benin as court hands jail terms to traffickers

A 34-year-old drug convict, Tope Ayanwale, collapsed on Tuesday shortly after being sentenced to three years’ imprisonment with an option of a N10 million fine by a Federal High Court sitting in Benin City.

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The sentence was delivered by Justice B. Quadiri in a case marked FHC/B/21c/2026, after the court found Ayanwale guilty of unlawful possession of illicit substances.

Court proceedings revealed that the convict was in possession of 1.272 kilograms of cannabis sativa, 2.1 grams of methamphetamine, and 176 grams of tramadol.

Moments after the judgment was pronounced, Ayanwale slumped in court and was quickly attended to before being stabilised. She was subsequently taken into custody to begin serving her sentence.

In a related development, two other convicted traffickers, Etinosa Bazuaye, 43, and Godfrey Osabuohien, 34, were on March 25 sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment each by the same court.

Bazuaye, charged with unlawful possession of 13 grams of cocaine under Charge No. FHC/B/143c/2025, was given the option of a N6 million fine, while Osabuohien, prosecuted for possession of 15 kilograms of cannabis under Charge No. FHC/B/86c/2025, received an option of a N3 million fine.

The convictions were secured by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency at the Federal High Court in Benin City.

Delivering his remarks, Justice Quadiri warned of the grave dangers posed by drug trafficking, describing it as a major driver of violent crimes including armed robbery and banditry. He stressed the need for firm and deterrent penalties to protect society.

Reacting to the development, the Edo State Commander of the NDLEA, Mitchell Ofoyeju, commended the judiciary for what he described as a decisive judgment, noting that the Ayanwale drug conviction sends a strong signal against illicit drug activities.

Ofoyeju added that the convictions align with the agency’s intensified enforcement drive under its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Mohamed Buba Marwa, aimed at dismantling drug networks and prosecuting offenders.

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He reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to sustaining its crackdown on drug-related crimes and urged the public to support enforcement efforts with credible information, noting that several convictions have been secured and cannabis farms destroyed across Edo State.