By Adesakin Adefemi
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency secured 974 convictions and varying jail terms for drug offenders between January and March 2026, ramping up arrests, prosecutions, and asset seizures targeting traffickers and their collaborators nationwide.
The figures were disclosed in a statement signed on Friday by the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi. He said 899 of the convicted offenders were male while 75 were female, reflecting the agency’s intensified enforcement push in the first quarter.
According to the breakdown, 265 convictions were recorded in January, 316 in February, and 393 in March. Babafemi noted that the steady rise shows sustained pressure on drug networks across the country.
Among those convicted were 11 identified drug kingpins who collectively received 254 years imprisonment. The agency described the sentences as proof that high-level traffickers are no longer untouchable.
Topping the list is 42-year-old businessman Adegbite Solomon, also known as Obama, based in Italy. He was arraigned on a 15-count charge before Justice Musa Kakaki of the Federal High Court, Lagos, in suit number FHC/L/851C/2025. Justice Kakaki sentenced him to a total of 130 years, with individual counts attracting between four and 15 years each.
Another kingpin, 32-year-old Ridwan Animashaun, was arraigned by the NDLEA before Justice Nkenoye Maha of the Federal High Court, Ibadan, Oyo State. The agency said his conviction formed part of the first-quarter sweep that targeted major suppliers and distributors.
Two other convicts, 28-year-old Rauf Asogba and 24-year-old Seun Olaniyi, each received 17-year jail terms. They were sentenced by Justice Abiodun Jordan Adeyemi of the Federal High Court, Abeokuta, Ogun State, on January 28, 2026, after being charged in suit number FHC/AB/160C/2025 for trafficking 1,779 kilograms of skunk.
The agency also listed two convicts who were each handed 15-year terms. They are 54-year-old Jonathan Nuhu, also called Doctor, convicted by Justice Mohammed Nasir Yunusa of the Federal High Court, Kano, on March 17, 2026, in charge FHC/KN/CR/96/2023, and 40-year-old Idris Yusuf, sentenced on March 31, 2026, by Justice Fatima Murtala Nyako of the Federal High Court, Damaturu, Yobe State.
Other offenders who received seven-year sentences each for drug trafficking in different parts of the country include Godday Obizuo, Asabe Abubakar, Godwin Peter, Asuquo Christian, and Olabode Sunday.
Reacting to the convictions, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), said the 974 convictions in three months reflect the relentless work of officers and the diminishing tolerance of the Nigerian state toward drug merchants.
He added that the 254-year combined sentence for the 11 kingpins is a firm reminder that the law has caught up with their greed.
