Couple jailed 22 years for drug trafficking as NDLEA secures major convictions
A federal high court in Lagos has sentenced Ajah Johnson Uchenna, a businessman, and Rosemary Uchenna, his wife, to 22 and a half years imprisonment for dealing in illicit drugs.
In a statement on Tuesday, Femi Babafemi, spokesperson of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), said Deinde Dipeolu, the presiding judge, sentenced the couple on Monday.
Babfemi said the couple was arrested on June 13 by operatives of the Department of State Security (DSS) in the Ojo area of Lagos.
Babafemi said they were transferred to NDLEA along with 277.5 kg of skunk, a strain of cannabis.
“Although they were still being investigated in custody, intelligence revealed that the family business was going on in their house, and this led to a raid of their home and a packing store where 231 kg of the same substance was recovered by NDLEA operatives on Tuesday, July 1st,” the statement reads.
“They were arraigned in charge number FHC/L/632C/2025 at the Federal High Court, Lagos, on a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy, dealing and storage of 414.2 kilograms of cannabis sativa.
“Delivering his judgement on the case on Monday, 4th August, Justice Dipeolu convicted Mrs.
“Rosemary Uchenna was convicted on counts 1, 2, and 3, and sentenced to 17 years in prison without an option of a fine, while her husband, Johnson Ajah Uchenna, was convicted and sentenced to five years imprisonment without the 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 that the sum of three million, four hundred and seven thousand Naira (N3,407,000.00) only recovered from the couple as proceeds of crime be forfeited to the federal government.”
Babafemi also said a federal high court in Kano presided over by Simon Amobeda convicted and sentenced Neetu Neetu, a 42-year-old Indian lady, to five years imprisonment for importing 72 parcels of factory-sealed heroin in wafer wraps and packaged as chocolates.
He said the heroin, which weighed 11 kilograms, was to be smuggled in through the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano.
“The drug consignment was recovered from Neetu’s luggage after a thorough search during an inward clearance of Qatar Airways flight QR1431 from Bangkok, Thailand, via Vietnam and Doha at the arrival hall of the Kano airport on Friday, 14th March 2025,” the NDLEA spokesperson said.
“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.
“That is not all, Mbala Dajou Abuba, a 42-year-old Angolan businessman, was sentenced to five years in prison by Justice Mohammed Yunusa of a federal high court in Kano following his arrest and arraignment by the NDLEA for ingesting 120 pellets of cocaine weighing 1.829 kilograms.
“Abuba, who is from the Zaire province in Angola, was arrested on Tuesday, 25th February, at the screening point of the Kano airport while trying to board Egypt Air flight MS 880 to Istanbul, Turkey, via Cairo.
“The NDLEA has also secured the final forfeiture of a multi-billion Naira 80-room Hotel and Lounge in Victoria Island, Lagos, linked to an illicit drug trafficking cartel, along with other assets.
“The 80-room hotel in Victoria Island, Lagos, was used as a cover for distributing illicit substances.
“It was raided between Friday, 25th and Saturday, 26th April 2025 by NDLEA operatives who, after hours of combing the rooms, recovered 589 bags of Canadian Loud, a strong strain of cannabis with a total weight of 417.3 kilograms worth One Billion Forty-Two Million Five Hundred Thousand Naira (₦1,042,500,000) only in street value.
“Forfeited along with the landed property situated at No. 16 Waziri Ibrahim Street off Elsie Femi Pearse Road, Victoria Island, Lagos, include Toyota Sienna Vehicle marked KJA 79 HJ; Volkswagen Delivery Van numbered AAA 525 JE; KIA Ceranto Car with plate number BDG 860 GQ; Black Colour Land Cruiser Prado with plate number AKD 472 DZ and Red Colour Grand Caravan Dodge with plate number APP 847 YF.
“Others are white colour Mazda bus marked KTU 241 AAA; Mercedes-Benz truck with registration number ASB 500 XY; gold colour Toyota Corolla car with registration number EKY 295 JT; ash colour Sienna minibus; 84 television sets; 70 air new conditioners; and 13 New Fridges.”
Babafemi said Buba Marwa, the chairman of NDLEA, commended the various commands of the agency and their officers and men that handled the various cases.
“Nothing serves the cause of justice more than when the criminal elements are given long jail terms and made to forfeit all they have acquired through the proceeds of their illicit drug trade, and we’re happy with this kind of judicial pronouncements, which will not only encourage our men to do more but will have long lasting impact on our drug control efforts,” he quoted Marwa to have said.
