….Forfeit cash, luxury vehicles to the Federal Government
Five members of some international organised criminal groups (IOCG) recently arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in connection with the seizure of 68.9 kilograms of cocaine and tramadol at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, have been sentenced to a combined 21 years imprisonment.
According to a press release on Friday, 7th November 2025, signed by the NDLEA Director, Media & Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the trio of Olasupo Michael Oladimeji, Muaezee Ademola Ogunbiyi, and Sola Adegoke, who are leaders of one of the cartels, were arrested following the seizure of 17.9 kilograms of cocaine concealed in textile materials and local charms going to Sydney, Australia, at the export shed of the MMIA Lagos on 26th August 2025. In the course of the investigation, 20.5 kilograms of Canadian Loud, a strain of cannabis, were recovered from Ogunbiyi’s home in Lekki, and a black Range Rover SUV marked RBC 459 EJ was found in Adegoke’s residence in Ikeja GRA.
They were subsequently arraigned on five counts in charge number FHC/L/925C/2025 before Justice Musa Kakaki of the Federal High Court, Lagos on 30th October 2025. The accused persons later pleaded guilty to the charges against each of them.
Delivering his judgement on 31st October, Justice Kakaki sentenced each of them to five years imprisonment without the option of fine, bringing the total number of years in jail for the three of them to 15 years. The court further ordered that the Range Rover SUV and a Toyota Venza Car seized from the convicts in the course of the investigation be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Similarly, two kingpins of another syndicate, Obunike Joseph Obichukwu and Uzorchukwu Godspower Chukwurah, were arrested by NDLEA operatives following the seizure of 2.60kg of cocaine and 27.90kg of tramadol concealed in motor spare parts being taken to Gabon through the Lagos airport on 19th July 2025. At the end of the investigation, the duo were charged and arraigned before Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa of the Federal High Court, Lagos, on six counts in charge number FHC/L/980C. Upon their arraignment on Tuesday, 4th November, they both pleaded guilty, and after a review of the facts of the case, the two defendants were convicted and sentenced to three years imprisonment or payment of a fine of N2million each in lieu of jail, while the N4million paid by Obunike to bribe NDLEA officers was ordered forfeited to the Federal Government.
