Abimbola Daniel pleaded guilty to importing and possessing cannabis brought into Lagos from Canada, but was given fines as an alternative to imprisonment

A Federal High Court in Lagos on Monday, August 24, 2026, sentenced Canada returnee Abimbola Olalekan Daniel to a total of 11 years in prison for unlawfully importing and possessing 2.5 kilogrammes of cannabis brought into Nigeria from Canada.

Also read: Ghana court jails two Nigerians 20 years for trafficking

Justice Akintayo Aluko handed down the sentence after Daniel pleaded guilty to two counts filed by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, relating to unlawful importation and possession of the prohibited substance.

The case, marked FHC/LAG/CR/609/2026, centred on a consignment that arrived in Lagos aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Canada.

According to prosecutor Arit Okon, the cannabis was concealed in cargo covered by waybill number 07161185795 and brought through the Customs Import Shed at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja. The prosecution said Daniel had engaged Afriway Cargo and Logistics, located at 20B Anthony Udo Avenue, International Airport Road, Ikeja, to clear the consignment.

Daniel was arrested when he went to collect the cargo, according to the prosecution. The subsequent investigation led to his arraignment on the two-count charge. (The Moment Nigeria)

The alleged offences occurred on July 14 and July 15, 2026.

The first count concerned the importation of 2.5 kilogrammes of cannabis during inward cargo clearance at the airport, while the second related to possession of the same quantity at the logistics company in Ajao Estate, Ikeja.

The offences were brought under Sections 11(2) and 20(1) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, Cap. N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, with punishment provided under Section 20(2). (This Times)

When the charges were read in court, Daniel admitted committing the offences and entered a guilty plea.

Following the plea, NDLEA exhibit keeper Abdullahi Mohammed Musa reviewed the facts of the case and tendered the exhibits recovered during the investigation. The court admitted the exhibits as evidence.

The prosecution subsequently asked the court to convict and sentence Daniel based on his guilty plea, the evidence presented and relevant provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015.

Daniel’s defence team, led by Benson Ndakara with Dennis Warri, appealed for leniency.

The lawyers urged Justice Aluko to consider Daniel’s early guilty plea and the absence of any previous criminal conviction. They also relied on provisions of the ACJA in asking the court to consider a non-custodial sentence. (This Times)

Justice Aluko ultimately sentenced Daniel to five years’ imprisonment on the first count and six years on the second, bringing the total to 11 years.

The court, however, offered Daniel an alternative to custody.

He was given the option of paying N500,000 on the first count and N600,000 on the second, bringing the total fine option to N1.1m in lieu of the prison terms. (Leadership)

The sentence highlights the serious legal consequences of bringing controlled substances into Nigeria, even where the quantity involved is considerably smaller than some of the large-scale seizures regularly announced by the NDLEA.

The agency has intensified its enforcement activities at Nigeria’s airports, seaports and cargo terminals as part of a broader campaign against the trafficking and distribution of illicit drugs.

The Lagos case also illustrates the importance of cargo clearance procedures in detecting prohibited substances entering the country.

In Daniel’s case, investigators said the cannabis had been concealed within a cargo consignment before the intended collection at a logistics facility.

The prosecution’s case did not allege that Daniel was involved in a wider trafficking network.

The court proceedings instead concerned the two specific offences of unlawful importation and possession arising from the same 2.5-kilogramme consignment.

Daniel’s guilty plea also meant that the case proceeded without a full trial of contested facts.

The prosecution presented the recovered exhibits and the circumstances surrounding the arrest, while the defence focused its plea on mitigation and the possibility of a non-custodial sentence.

The case is another reminder that a return to Nigeria with a foreign-sourced consignment carries legal responsibilities, particularly where controlled substances are involved.