Three drug kingpins and 16 other offenders have been convicted and sentenced to a total of 302 years in prison for trafficking and dealing in illicit drugs.

The drugs they were accused of trafficking are cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, cannabis, and opioids among others.

Also read: NDLEA arrests 12 with drugs hidden in baby food tins

A statement on Friday by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency’s Spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, said 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.

He said, “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.

“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.”

Babafemi said 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.

“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.

He was subsequently arraigned before Hon. Justice Ambrose Allagoa of the Federal High Court, Lagos in charge number FHC/L/537C/2024.

“In his judgment delivered on July 19 2024, Justice Allagoa convicted and sentenced him to 21 years imprisonment or payment of an option of N30m fine,” the statement added.

Babafemi also said another kingpin who was put behind bars is 34-year-old Ikeh Stanley Ifeanyi who was arrested at the popular Idumota market in Lagos Island, where no fewer than 1,100 ampoules of lethal synthetic opioid, fentanyl, weighing 6.480kg were recovered from him.

He added, ”The dangerous opioid is 100 times more potent than heroin and currently responsible for over 70% overdose deaths as well as a major contributor to fatal and nonfatal overdoses in the US.

“He was later arraigned before Justice Kehinde Ogundare of the Federal High Court Lagos in charge number FHC/L/433C/2024. Delivering his judgment on 4th July 2024, the trial judge convicted Ifeanyi on the two counts charge and sentenced him to 14 years in jail or an option of N2million fine.”

He said the third kingpin, Christian Anyanwu, was arrested on November 26, 2022, with 1.4 kilograms of methamphetamine concealed inside custard tins packed among cosmetics and foodstuffs going to Brazil via Doha on a Qatar Airways flight.

He was subsequently docked before Justice Yellin Bogoro of the Federal High Court Lagos, and later convicted on 12th July 2024. In his ruling, the trial judge sentenced Anyanwu to 16 years in jail, four of which were mandatory imprisonment without an option of fine.

Babafemi added, “Others who bagged mandatory imprisonment in July for drug trafficking include Moses Yakubu, sentenced to 25 years in prison on 22nd July by Justice Rita Ajumogobia of the Federal High Court Abuja; Oluosun Okikiol, a, who was convicted and sentenced to 15 years in jail on 17th July by Justice A. An Okeke of the Federal High Court Abeokuta, Ogun state.

“In the same vein, Justice R.J Abubakar of the Federal High Court, Makurdi, Benue state convicted and sentenced Chanchan Terpase to seven years in prison on 9th July while Justice C.O. Obiozor of the Federal High Court, Benin, Edo state convicted and sentenced Beauty Gani to 30 years in prison or payment of an option of N8million fine on 3rd July 2024.”