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 in prison for trafficking cannabis.
The sentence was handed down by Justice Deinde Dipeolu on Monday, August 4, 2025, following a four-count charge brought against the couple by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for conspiracy, possession, and dealing in 414.2 kilograms of cannabis sativa.
NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, in a statement on Tuesday, revealed that the couple was first arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) on June 13, 2025, in the Ojo area of Lagos with 277.5kg of skunk. Subsequent raids on their residence uncovered another 231kg of the substance.
In his ruling, Justice Dipeolu convicted Rosemary Uchenna on three counts and sentenced her to 17 years without the option of a fine. Her husband, Johnson, was sentenced to five years on one count and six months with an option of N1 million fine on another. Additionally, ₦3,407,000 recovered from them was forfeited to the Federal Government.
More Convictions Across Nigeria
In related developments, NDLEA also secured convictions in Kano and Enugu States.
In Kano, Justice Simon Amobeda sentenced Neetu Neetu, a 42-year-old Indian woman, to five years in prison for smuggling 72 parcels of heroin weighing 11kg into the country through the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport. The drugs were disguised as chocolate and concealed in her luggage on a Qatar Airways flight from Thailand.
She was convicted on two counts and given the option of a N2 million fine.
Also in Kano, Angolan national Mbala Dajou Abuba was jailed for five years by Justice Mohammed Yunusa after ingesting 120 pellets of cocaine weighing 1.829kg. He was arrested at the Kano airport while attempting to board a flight to Turkey.
In Enugu, Justice M.G. Umar sentenced Eze Christian Ikenna to six years imprisonment for trafficking 11.2kg of cocaine concealed in herbal tea sachets. The sentence will run concurrently, beginning from May 20, 2023.
Multibillion-Naira Hotel Forfeited
In a major asset forfeiture, the NDLEA obtained a court order to seize an 80-room hotel and lounge in Victoria Island, Lagos, linked to a drug cartel. The property was raided in April 2025, where 589 bags of Canadian Loud (a high-grade strain of cannabis) weighing 417.3kg and valued at over ₦1 billion were found.
Also forfeited were multiple vehicles including a Toyota Sienna, Volkswagen delivery van, Land Cruiser Prado, and a Mercedes Benz truck, as well as dozens of electronics and home appliances. The order was granted by Justice Ibrahim Ahmad Kala on July 18, 2025.
NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the agency’s officers and the judiciary for their efforts, stating that the convictions and forfeitures further underscore NDLEA’s commitment to curbing drug trafficking in Nigeria.
