2 Drug Kingpins Emami, Akpomuai Convicted, Sentenced To 10-yr Imprisonment

Two notorious drug kingpins, 37-year-old Ajetsibo Emami, popularly known as ‘Warri Kinsman’, and 51-year-old Solomon Akpomuai, have been convicted and sentenced to a combined 10 years imprisonment by a Federal High Court in Lagos.

Emami was arrested in Ikeja, Lagos State, on Saturday, June 28, 2025, after NDLEA operatives dismantled his drug trafficking network in a three-day operation, leading to the arrest of three other suspects. Recovered from Emami’s network were 24 jumbo bags containing 681 pouches of Canadian Loud, a strain of cannabis weighing 414.2 kilograms.

The bust of Emami’s drug ring followed credible intelligence on his attempt to move the shipment to Lekki area of Lagos, from where it will be distributed to other parts of the state and across the country.

He was subsequently arraigned before Justice Deinde Dipeolu of the Federal High Court 8 Lagos in charge numbered FHC/L/636C/2025 bordering on dealing in illicit drugs.

In his ruling delivered on Monday, August 18, 2025, the trial judge convicted Emami on the one count charge filed against him by NDLEA prosecutor, Assistant Commander of Narcotics Buhari Shuaibu Abdullahi, and sentenced him to six years in prison with an option of N50million fine in lieu of jail.

In his case, Solomon Akpomuai was first arrested by men of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) along Shagamu-Ijebu-Ode expressway with 2,197.8 kilograms of skunk, a strain of cannabis on June 3, 2025, and he was transferred to NDLEA on June 16 after which he was arraigned in charge numbered FHC/L/635C before Justice Dipeolu for trafficking illicit drugs in large commercial quantity.

Also, delivering his judgement on the matter, the trial judge convicted and sentenced Akpomuai to four years in prison with an option of N50million fine.

Reacting to the development, chairman/chief executive officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), described the conviction of the two drug kingpins as an indication that Nigeria will sooner than later surmount the menace of substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking as a result of the positive outcomes of the current balanced approach to the Agency’s drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.

He commended the judiciary, NDLEA officers involved in the investigation and prosecution of the cases as well as other stakeholders for their commitment to the cause of a drug-free country.