NDLEA: 2.1 tonnes of cocaine seized in Ikorodu, suspects bag 28 years in jail
Four kingpins who were arrested in connection with the historic seizure of 2,139.55 kg of cocaine at an Ikorodu residential estate in 2022 have finally been convicted by a Federal High Court in Lagos, presided over by Justice Yellim Bogoro, who sentenced them to various jail terms totalling about twenty-eight (28) years with hard labour
The convicts are Soji Jubril Oke, aged 71; Wasiu Akinade, aged 55; Emmanuel Arinze Chukwu, aged 67; and Kelvin Christopher Smith, aged 44 (a Jamaican). They were charged with six counts with the number FHC/L/607C/2022 in the months of October and December, 2022. However, the trial of the fifth suspect who had been arraigned with them is still ongoing.
The officials of a special operations unit of the NDLEA, while on a well-coordinated operation on Sunday, 18th September, 2022, had raided a house located on NO. 6 Olukuola Crescent, Solebo Estate, Ikorodu, where they found over 2.1 tonnes of cocaine, making history as the largest singular cocaine seizure in the history of anti-narcotic operations in Nigeria.
It has been two years of diligent prosecution, the Jamaican, Kelvin Christopher Smith was given four years imprisonment with hard labour. Emmanuel Arinze got a total of 16 years; Soji Jubril Oke was handed five years which also comes with hard labour, and Wasiu Akinade was given three years with hard labour. The judge however, gave the convicts varying options of fine exempting one who he insisted must serve his full jail term with out an option of fine.
The convicts are also to forfeit a grey coloured Toyota Tacoma SUV marked AAA-734HT registered in the name of Emmanuel Chukwu, $50,000 also belonging to Chukwu, and N55,099,509 which also is in Chukwu’s custody. The sum of N9,003,168 belonging to Wasiu Akinade was also forfeited alongside over N3,000,000 which is said to also belong to Wasiu Akinade.
