No fewer than 974 drug offenders have been convicted nationwide throughout the first quarter of 2026, because the Nationwide Drug Legislation Enforcement Company (NDLEA) intensified its crackdown on traffickers and their networks.
Amongst these convicted had been 11 high-profile drug kingpins handed a mixed 254 years in jail, marking one of the vital enforcement milestones in recent times.
In keeping with the Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, in a press release launched Friday, a breakdown of the convictions confirmed that 899 had been male and 75 feminine offenders, with 265 convictions recorded in January, 316 in February, and 393 in March.
The assertion learn partly, “Main the record of convicted kingpins is Italy-based businessman Adegbite Solomon, alias “Obama,” who was sentenced to a cumulative 130 years in jail by the Federal Excessive Court docket in Lagos, after being discovered responsible on 15 counts of drug-related offences.
“Though the sentences run concurrently, the court docket additionally ordered the revocation of his pharmacy licence and forfeiture of property, together with pharmacy shops and funds in a number of {bank} accounts.
“Equally, Ridwan Animashaun was handed 25 years in jail by the Federal Excessive Court docket in Ibadan. The conviction marks a repeat offence, following his earlier sentencing in 2022.”
It learn additional, “In Ogun state, Rauf Asogba and Seun Olaniyi acquired 17 years in jail every after being convicted for trafficking 1,779 kilogrammes of skunk. Different notable convictions embrace Jonathan Nuhu, also called “Physician,” who was sentenced to fifteen years in Kano, and Idris Yusuf, who acquired 15 years in Yobe, alongside an extra eight-year sentence in a separate case.”
It added that, “A number of different offenders, together with Godday Obizuo, Asabe Abubakar, Godwin Peter, Asuquo Christian, and Olabode Sunday, had been every sentenced to seven years in jail for drug trafficking offences throughout varied states.”
Reacting to the event, the NDLEA Chairman/Chief Govt Officer, Mohamed Buba Marwa, described the end result as a “watershed in Nigeria’s struggle in opposition to drug abuse and trafficking.”
“Securing 974 convictions in simply three months underscores the relentless efforts of our officers and sends a transparent message that Nigeria is now not a secure haven for drug traffickers,” he stated.
Marwa counseled the judiciary for expediting trials, stressing that swift justice “stays the simplest deterrent in opposition to prison syndicates.”
He urged Nigerians to stay vigilant and to proceed supporting legislation enforcement companies with credible intelligence, noting that public cooperation “stays vital in sustaining the combat in opposition to illicit medication.”