By IBIRONKE ARIYO

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says a businessman, Johnson Uchenna, and his wife, Rosemary Uchenna, have been sentenced to a combined 22 and a half years imprisonment for dealing in illicit drugs.

NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, said in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja that the judgment was delivered by Justice Deinde Dipeolu of the Federal High Court 8, Lagos, on Monday.

According to Babafemi, the couple was initially arrested on June 13, by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) in the Ojo area of Lagos State.

He said they were subsequently handed over to the NDLEA along with 277.5kg of skunk, a potent strain of cannabis.

?While investigations were ongoing, credible intelligence indicated that drug-related activities were continuing at their residence.

?This led to a follow-up raid by NDLEA operatives on July 1, during which 231kg of the same substance was recovered from their home and a nearby storage facility.

?The couple was arraigned on a four-count charge ? bordering on conspiracy, dealing, and unlawful storage of 414.2kg of cannabis sativa ? in case number FHC/L/632C/2025 at the Federal High Court in Lagos.

?Delivering his judgment on the case on Monday, Justice Dipeolu convicted Mrs Rosemary Uchenna on counts 1, 2, and 3 and sentenced her to 17 years in prison without an option of fine.

?While her husband Johnson Uchenna was convicted and sentenced to five years imprisonment without option of fine on count 1 and six months in jail on count 4 with an option of N1 million fine.

?In addition to the jail terms, the trial Judge also ordered the sum of N3.4million recovered from the couple as proceeds of crime be forfeited to the Federal Government,? he said.

Babafemi added that a Federal High Court in Kano, presided over by Justice Simon Amobeda, also convicted and sentenced a 42-year-old Indian national, Neetu Neetu, to five years in prison for drug trafficking.

According to Babafemi, Neetu was found guilty of importing 72 parcels of heroin?factory sealed in wafer wraps and disguised as chocolates?into Nigeria. The illicit consignment weighed 11 kilograms.

He said the class A drug was discovered in Neetu?s luggage after a thorough search at the arrival hall of the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano, based on processed credible intelligence.

?The arrest took place on March 14, during the inward clearance of Qatar Airways flight QR1431 from Bangkok, Thailand, via Vietnam and Doha.

?She was subsequently arraigned in charge number FHC/KN/CR/65/2025 before Justice Amobeda, who eventually sentenced her to 10 years on two counts with an option of N2 million fine,? he said.

In like manner, a 42-year-old Angolan businessman Mbala Abuba was convicted and sentenced to five years in prison by Justice Mohammed Yunusa of a Federal High Court in Kano.

Babafemi said that the conviction followed his arrest and arraignment by NDLEA for ingesting 120 pellets of cocaine weighing 1.829 kilograms.

?Abuba, who is from the Zaire province in Angola was arrested on Feb. 25 at the screening point of the Kano airport while trying to board Egypt Air flight MS 880 to Istanbul, Turkey via Cairo,?he said.

He further said a Federal High Court in Enugu, similarly convicted another drug trafficker, Eze Ikenna on two counts of unlawful trafficking and possession of 11.20 kilograms of cocaine, brought against him by the NDLEA in charge number FHC/EN/CS/9/2023.

Babafemi said that the suspect was arrested on Jan. 20, 2023 by NDLEA operatives at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu.

This, he said was upon arrival from Brazil via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia with 11.20 kilograms of cocaine concealed in herbal tea sachets.

?He was subsequently arraigned before Justice M. G. Umar of the Federal High Court, Enugu, who eventually sentenced him to three years imprisonment on each count, totalling six years.

?The sentence will run concurrently, effective from May 20, 2023,?he added.

Reacting to the conviction and forfeiture court judgements, NDELA Chairman, Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the various commands of the agency, their officers and men that handled the various cases. (NAN)

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