Court Jails Businessman For 15 Years For Cocaine Trafficking

For unlawfully trafficking 1.50 kilograms of cocaine into Nigeria from Brazil, a Federal High Court in Lagos has sentenced a businessman, Uche Onyekwere, to 15 years in prison.

The trial judge, Justice Alexander Owoeye, handed down the sentence after Onyekwere pleaded guilty to the four-count charge brought against him by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

The NDLEA accused the Brazil-based convict of committing the offence on January 29, 2026.

The prosecutor, Arrit Okon, informed the court that the drug was found during passenger screening at Murtala Muhammed International Airport’s Terminal 1, where the convict was arrested.

He claimed that the convict arrived on a South African Airways flight from São Paulo, Brazil, with a layover in Johannesburg, South Africa, before landing in Lagos.

The prosecutor also informed the court that the drug was detected during a routine inspection by NDLEA officers.

Okon further maintained that the offence violated Section 11(a) of the NDLEA Act, Cap. N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

The Onyekwere pleaded guilty to the charge marked FHC/L/199 c/2026.

Based on his plea, the prosecutor tendered evidence, including the seized drug, his confession, passport, and other exhibits.

He then asked the court to convict and sentence Onyekwere in accordance with the evidence and Section 247(2) of the ACJA 2015.

The defence lawyer, Chief Benson Ndakara, pleaded for leniency, noting that his client was a first-time offender who is now remorseful, as evidenced by his early guilty plea.

After reviewing the evidence and relevant legal authority, Justice Owoeye sentenced Onyekwere to 15 years in prison and ordered him to pay a fine of N2 million instead of the jail term.