By Jemimah Wellington, JKNewsMedia Correspondent
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has recorded a series of high-profile convictions and asset forfeitures in its ongoing campaign against illicit drug trafficking across Nigeria.
In Lagos, businessman Ajah Johnson Uchenna and his wife, Rosemary Uchenna, were sentenced on Monday, 4 August 2025, to a combined 22 and a half years in prison by Justice Deinde Dipeolu of the Federal High Court 8.
The couple was arrested in June by Department of State Security (DSS) operatives and handed over to NDLEA with 277.5kg of cannabis.
A subsequent raid on their residence in July led to the recovery of an additional 231kg.
They were convicted on a four-count charge involving 414.2kg of cannabis sativa, with the court ordering the forfeiture of ₦3,407,000 recovered from them as proceeds of crime.
In Kano, Justice Simon Amobeda sentenced a 42-year-old Indian national, Neetu Neetu, to 10 years in prison or a N2 million fine for importing 11kg of heroin disguised as chocolates through the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport.
Similarly, a 42-year-old Angolan businessman, Mbala Dajou Abuba, was sentenced by Justice Mohammed Yunusa to five years in prison for ingesting 120 pellets of cocaine weighing 1.829kg.
In Enugu, Justice M. G. Umar sentenced Eze Christian Ikenna to six years in prison for trafficking and possession of 11.20kg of cocaine concealed in herbal tea sachets, seized at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in January 2023.
The NDLEA also secured the final forfeiture of an 80-room hotel in Victoria Island, Lagos, linked to a drug cartel. 
The property, raided in April 2025, was found to contain 589 bags of Canadian Loud cannabis weighing 417.3kg and valued at over N1 billion.
Additional forfeited assets include vehicles, electronics, and appliances. Justice Ibrahim Ahmad Kala granted the forfeiture order on 18 July 2025.
NDLEA Chairman, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the agency’s officers and the judiciary, stating that the convictions and forfeitures strengthen deterrence and enhance the agency’s drug control efforts.
