A Federal High Court in Lagos has sentenced a businessman, Ajah Johnson Uchenna, and his wife, Rosemary Uchenna, to a combined 22 and a half years imprisonment for trafficking and storing over 414 kilograms of cannabis sativa, marking another major victory for the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in its nationwide crackdown on illicit drug trafficking.
Delivering judgment on Monday, 4th August 2025, Justice Deinde Dipeolu of the Federal High Court 8, Lagos, found the couple guilty on a four-count charge of conspiracy, unlawful dealing, and storage of narcotics.
The couple had been arrested earlier on Friday, 13th June 2025 by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) in the Ojo area of Lagos, with 277.5kg of skunk, a potent strain of cannabis. During ongoing investigations, intelligence revealed that their illicit activities were continuing at their residence, prompting NDLEA operatives to conduct a follow-up raid on Tuesday, 1st July, leading to the recovery of an additional 231kg of the same substance.
They were subsequently arraigned in charge number FHC/L/632C/2025, where Mrs. Rosemary Uchenna was convicted on counts 1, 2, and 3 and sentenced to 17 years in prison without the option of a fine. Her husband, Ajah Johnson Uchenna, was sentenced to five years imprisonment on count 1 and six months imprisonment on count 4, with an option of a ₦1 million fine.
In addition to the custodial sentences, the court ordered the forfeiture of ₦3,407,000, recovered from the couple as proceeds of crime, to the Federal Government.
In Kano, a Federal High Court presided over by Justice Simon Amobeda convicted Neetu Neetu, a 42-year-old Indian woman, for importing 11kg of heroin into Nigeria disguised as chocolates. She was arrested on Friday, 14th March 2025, during the inward clearance of Qatar Airways flight QR1431 from Bangkok via Vietnam and Doha at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA). She was arraigned under charge number FHC/KN/CR/65/2025, and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment on two counts with an option of a ₦2 million fine.
Similarly, Mbala Dajou Abuba, a 42-year-old businessman from Angola’s Zaire Province, was sentenced to five years imprisonment by Justice Mohammed Yunusa of the Federal High Court in Kano. Abuba was arrested at the same airport on Tuesday, 25th February 2025, while attempting to board an Egypt Air flight to Istanbul via Cairo, after ingesting 120 cocaine pellets weighing 1.829kg.
In Enugu, another trafficker, Eze Christian Ikenna, was convicted and sentenced to six years imprisonment for unlawful possession and trafficking of 11.2kg of cocaine, concealed in herbal tea sachets. He was arrested on January 20, 2023, at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport on arrival from Brazil via Addis Ababa. Justice M.G. Umar, presiding over charge number FHC/EN/CS/9/2023, sentenced him to three years on each of the two counts, to run concurrently, effective from May 20, 2023.
In a landmark property seizure, the NDLEA has secured the final forfeiture of an 80-room hotel and lounge located in Victoria Island, Lagos, which was used by a major drug cartel as a front for trafficking operations. The hotel, situated at No. 16 Waziri Ibrahim Street, off Elsie Femi Pearse Road, was raided between Friday, 25th and Saturday, 26th April 2025. Operatives recovered 589 bags of Canadian Loud, weighing 417.3kg, with a street value of over ₦1.042 billion.
Also forfeited alongside the property were luxury and utility vehicles including:
Toyota Sienna (KJA 79 HJ)
Volkswagen Delivery Van (AAA 525 JE)
KIA Ceranto (BDG 860 GQ)
Land Cruiser Prado (AKD 472 DZ)
Dodge Caravan (APP 847 YF)
Mazda Bus (KTU 241 AAA)
Mercedes Benz Truck (ASB 500 XY)
Toyota Corolla (EKY 295 JT)
Sienna Mini Bus
As well as electronics and appliances including:
84 television sets
70 air conditioners
13 new refrigerators
The final forfeiture orders were granted on Friday, 18th July 2025, by Justice Ibrahim Ahmad Kala, following a motion filed by the NDLEA under FHC/L/MISC/447/2025.
Reacting to the series of convictions and the successful forfeiture, NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), praised the coordinated efforts of the agency’s various commands and the judiciary.
“Nothing serves the cause of justice more than when criminal elements are given long jail terms and made to forfeit all they have acquired through the proceeds of their illicit drug trade. We are proud of the judiciary for delivering judgments that reinforce deterrence and boost morale among our operatives,” Marwa said.
He emphasized that the agency will not relent in dismantling drug syndicates and ensuring that perpetrators face the full weight of the law.
