The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has successfully secured life imprisonment sentences for two notorious drug kingpins, Uwaezuoke Ikenna Christian and Agbo Chidike Prince, marking a crucial victory in the battle against drug-related crimes in Nigeria.
Naijaonpoint reports that in a statement released on Sunday, NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi explained that Uwaezuoke’s criminal activities came to a halt when he was apprehended on March 19, 2022, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, by NDLEA officials during the inward clearance of an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
He was found to have ingested 100 large wraps of cocaine, totalling 2.243 kilograms. Although initially pleading not guilty and granted bail, Uwaezuoke absconded, prompting the court to issue an arrest warrant.
The NDLEA rearrested Uwaezuoke on August 1, 2023, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.
This time, he was attempting to export 1.822 kilograms of cocaine to India under a false identity. After a series of court proceedings, Uwaezuoke was sentenced on March 20, 2024, to life imprisonment by Justice Joyce Obehi Abdulmalik at the Federal High Court, Abuja, for his repeated offenses.
Similarly, Agbo Chidike Prince was caught at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on October 21, 2023, while attempting to board a flight to Hong Kong with 49 wraps of cocaine weighing 998.73 grams.
His plea for leniency was disregarded by the court due to the commercial quantity of the drug involved and the serious nature of drug-related offences.
On April 15, 2024, Justice Abdulmalik sentenced him to life imprisonment, underscoring the severity of his crime.
NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) praised the agency’s Directorate of Prosecution and Legal Services for its diligent work in prosecuting these high-profile cases.
He reaffirmed that the agency’s heightened enforcement activities across the country are proving effective in curbing the illicit drug trade.
In related enforcement actions, the NDLEA made several other significant arrests across Nigeria.
Among them was Yahaya Danjuma Oturah, apprehended at Lagos airport with 4,000 pills of tramadol destined for Italy.
In Bayelsa, operatives arrested Jennifer Iliya for producing and distributing cannabis-laced cakes, and in Mushin, Lagos, a substantial 310.7 kg of cannabis was seized in a series of raids.