Drug Trafficking: Court Jails Clearing Agent, Orders Forfeiture Of 3 Vehicles

A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has sentenced a clearing agent, Olisaemeka Okoli, to three years’ imprisonment for illegally importing 610.5 kilograms of Cannabis Indica into Nigeria.

Justice Musa Kakaki delivered the judgment after the defendant pleaded guilty to a one-count charge filed by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

Okoli was arraigned by the NDLEA over the alleged importation of the prohibited substance through Tin Can Island Port, Lagos.

The agency told the court that on April 30, 2026, at Hanover Warehouse, Tin Can Island Port, the defendant unlawfully imported 610.5 kilograms of Cannabis Indica, also known as marijuana, concealed inside three Toyota Sienna vehicles loaded in a container marked HLBU3119600.

The NDLEA said the offence contravenes Section 11(a) of the NDLEA Act, Cap N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

Following the guilty plea, prosecuting counsel Adekunle Adebajo presented the facts of the case and tendered exhibits in support of the charge, urging the court to convict the defendant and order the forfeiture of the vehicles used to conceal the drugs.

The defence counsel, in his plea for leniency, urged the court to temper justice with mercy, describing the convict as “a victim of circumstances.”

Delivering judgment, Justice Kakaki held that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt and sentenced Okoli to three years’ imprisonment without an option of fine.

The court also ordered the forfeiture of the three Toyota Sienna vehicles used in concealing the drugs to the federal government.