149 drug dealers convicted in 2015

At least 149 drug dealers arrested by the Lagos State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency were convicted in 2015, the agency has said.

In a statement Monday, the NDLEA said the convicts included three culprits who bagged life imprisonment with hard labour.

‎”One of the convicts will spend 25 years behind bars and another will spend 17 years in prison,” a statement by agency’s spokesman, Mitchell Ofoyeju.

“Four others got 15 years each. Another four convicts were sentenced to 10 years each while 19 others got five years each,” it said.

All the suspects were convicted by the Federal High Court in Lagos.

‎NDLEA’s acting chairman, Roli Bode-George, described the convictions as impressive and capable of discouraging people from drug trafficking.

“These convictions are strong enough to deter other from drug trafficking,” said Mrs. Bode-George.

“This is highly impressive and motivating to the agency for the time and material resources spent in arrest and prosecution of drug dealers,” she said.

The Lagos State commander of the NDLEA, Sule Aliyu‎, said in 2015, about 164 other cases were pending as at December 31.

“The command in 2015 also seized a total 7,345.87 kilogrammes of various narcotic drugs mainly cannabis which is commonly called hemp and arrested 531 suspected drug dealers comprising 507 males and 24 females,” he said.

According to the NDLEA, ‎those who got life sentence include Abiodun Elemoro, 29, of Palm Church Street, Lagos Island, convicted on January 29, 2015 for being in possession of 30.5 grammes of cocaine; Sule Ibrahim, 37, of Mopo Alayo village Okun Ajah Lagos, convicted October 20, 2015 for possessing 11.8kg of cannabis and; Aluagwu Lawrence, 32, of Iju Ishaga Lagos convicted December 9, 2015 for possessing 220 grammes of cannabis.

Also, Amaechi Igwe, 37, of Mile 12 Market, Lagos got twenty-five years imprisonment for dealing in 2.7 grammes of cocaine.

Jeremiah Aernan,‎ NDLEA Lagos State Command Prosecuting Counsel, said the command surpassed its previous number of convictions in 2014.

“Winning 149 cases in a year is massive,” he said.

“This has surpassed the 123 convictions recorded in 2014. Although the work load is tasking as the only prosecutor in the command, I am glad with the quality convictions,” he added.