Serial Tramadol Trafficker Gets 15-year Jail Term

Justice Musa Kakaki of the Federal High Court in Lagos has convicted and sentenced a serial drug trafficker, Solomon Adegbite, to 15 years in prison without an option of a fine for trafficking 1.30 kilograms of Tramadol 225mg, a controlled narcotic.

Justice Kakaki handed over the verdict after Adegbite, a Nigerian based in Italy, pleaded guilty to a 15-count charge of drug trafficking brought against him by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

The convict, who had been arrested on three occasions in the past, was arrested again on July 22, 2025, during the outward clearance of passengers on Royal Air Maroc Flight to Italy through Casablanca, Morocco, at Terminal 2, Departure Hall of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.

The convict was arraigned before the court sometime in February this year and was remanded in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service pending the review of the facts of the case.

The review was delayed twice at the request of the prosecutor, Juliana Iroabuchi, who told the court that the exhibits were not available.

But on March 16, Iroabuchi was able to tender all relevant exhibits via an NDLEA operative, Okay Emmanuel.

She, then, urged the judge to convict Adegbite based on the guilty plea and evidence.

Adegbite was convicted without objection from the defence counsel, Augustine Nwagu, and sentencing was fixed for March 18, 2026.

On that date, Nwagu pleaded for mercy, describing Adegbite as remorseful and a young man with dependents.

He also urged the judge to consider imposing a fine as an option for his client.

However, the prosecutor strongly opposed the request for an option of a fine.

She urged the court to reject this plea, arguing that it would send the wrong message to society.

Julianah also urged the court to consider the victims affected by hard drugs, insisting that Adegbite is an unrepentant drug trafficker who has been arrested three times for drug offences.

Iroabuchi asked the judge to take note of the significant amount of hard drugs involved, stating that it was of commercial value.

After considering both sides, Justice Kakaki sentenced Adegbite to 15 years on the 15-count charge and four years for the two remaining counts.

The court further ordered the forfeiture of his Italian residence permit, his pharmacy, his bank accounts, his Samsung Galaxy A22, and his Nigerian passport.