NDLEA Secures Convictions of Couple, Jailed 22 Years, Hotel Forfeited in Major Drug Busts

A Lagos-based couple, Ajah Johnson Uchenna and his wife Rosemary, have been sentenced to a combined 22.5 years in prison for drug trafficking by Justice Deinde Dipeolu of the Federal High Court in Lagos. The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) confirmed that the duo was arrested on June 13, 2025, with 277.5kg of cannabis (skunk) and later found with an additional 231kg during a raid on their home.

The court convicted Rosemary on three counts, sentencing her to 17 years without an option of fine, while her husband received five years for conspiracy and an additional six months (with a ₦1 million fine option) for another charge.

The judge also ordered the forfeiture of ₦3.4 million recovered from them as proceeds of crime.

In a separate case, a 42-year-old Indian national, Neetu Neetu, was jailed for five years by a Kano court after being caught with 11kg of heroin concealed as chocolate wafers at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport.

Similarly, Angolan businessman Mbala Dajou Abuba received a five-year term for ingesting 1.8kg of cocaine pellets, while Enugu-based trafficker Eze Christian Ikenna was sentenced to six years for smuggling 11.2kg of cocaine in herbal tea sachets.

In a major crackdown, the NDLEA also secured the final forfeiture of an 80-room Victoria Island hotel and lounge—valued at billions of naira—linked to a drug cartel.

The property, raided in April 2025, yielded 417kg of cannabis worth over ₦1 billion. Additional forfeited assets include luxury vehicles, electronics, and other valuables.

NDLEA spokesman Femi Babafemi hailed the convictions and seizures as a testament to the agency’s intensified war against drug trafficking, urging continued public support to curb the menace.

About The Author

Dele Fashomi

Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.

Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.

He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.

Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).

He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.

He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.

Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled:  Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.

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