Justice Musa Kakaki of a Federal High Court in Lagos has sentenced three members of an international drug cartel to a cummulative jail term of fifteen years for trafficking in illicit drugs.
The judge handed down the verdict after the three men; Olashupo Michael Oladimeji, Muaezz Ademola Ogunbiyi and Sola Adegoke a k.a Babashola Omoleye, pleaded guilty to a 5-count charge of conspiracy and trafficking in 17.90kg of cocaine and 20.5kg of cannabis sativa, slammed on them by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
Following the defendants’ guilty plea, the facts of the case was reviewed by the NDLEA’s lawyer, Abu Ibrahim, with all relevant exhibits and documents tendered.
After reviewing the facts, the lawyer urged the court to convict the defendants based on their guilty plea and all the relevant exhibits tendered. Justice Kakaki, after listening to Abu’s submission and perusing the exhibits tendered, convicted the three defendants as charged.
Prior to their sentencing, defence lawyers, Chief Benson Ndakara and O. N. Okuwobi, pleaded with the court to tamper justice with mercy, saying the defendants were first time offenders who did not waste the precious time of the court before admitting their guilt.
Ndakara and Okuwobi further submitted that the timely plea of guilt by the convicts is a sign of remorse, adding that the defendants have promised never to indulge themselves in crime if giving the second opportunity.
They urged the court to grant an option of fine instead of custodian sentence. Delivering judgement in the matter, Justice Kakaki sentenced each of the three convicts to five years imprisonment without an option of fine .
He also made an order for the final forfeiture of two cars, a Range Rover SUV and a Venza, said to have been used as instrumentality of the crime In the charge, the three defendants, Olashupo Michael Oladimeji, Muaezz Ademola Ogunbiyi, Sola Adegoke and Adebisi Adebola Omoyele (now at large) and other members of an international criminal organized group, with others based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Brazil and Australia who are presently at large, were alleged to have on or about the 26th of August, 2025 at the Skyway Handling Company (SAHCO) Export Shed, a Customs Area/Point of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos conspired amongst themselves to export 17.90kg of cocaine.
Two of the defendants, Sola Adegoke and Muaezz Ademola Ogunbiyi, were also said to have on or about the 4th of September, 2025 without lawful authority knowingly possessed 20.5kg of cannabis sativa. The offences were said to have contravened Sections 14(b), 19, 21(2)(d) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Cap, N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
