NDLEA secures conviction of 1,445 drug traffickers in six months

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it secured the conviction of 1,445 drug traffickers between January and June 2023.

Femi Babafemi, NDLEA spokesperson, said in a statement on Wednesday, that 221 among those convicted are women while  1,224 are men.

Babafemi said the legal department of the agency is currently prosecuting 11,166 drug suspects, adding that the convictions were secured in federal high courts across the country.

The NDLEA spokesperson said one Dadda Lorenzo Harvy Albert, a 34-year-old man from Suriname, who was arrested with 9.9 kilograms of cocaine at Port Harcourt International Airport, has been sentenced to 13 years imprisonment.

“In his ruling, Justice Obile declared that “you, Dadda Lorenzo Harvy Albert hereby sentenced to 13 years imprisonment without option of fine on count one and count two and both shall run concurrently,” the statement reads.

“The successful prosecution and conviction of Lorenzo are one of the 1,445 drug cases concluded at the federal high court across the country between January and June 2023 by the directorate of prosecution and legal services of NDLEA with the trial of a total of 11,166 other drug suspects ongoing in court.

“Out of the 1,445 convicts, 221 of them are female while the balance of 1,224 are male. Of the 11,166 pending cases, 10,626 of them are men while the rest, 540 are women.

“The 1,445 convicts and 11,166 suspects who are still facing trial were arrested and charged to court over the seizure of 555,953.70 kilograms of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, cannabis, tramadol, and others linked to them between January and June 2023.

“Chairman/chief executive officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd) commended officers and men of the prosecution department for a job well done.

“He charged them to remain committed to diligent prosecution of all pending cases in court, adding that conviction and sentencing without the option of fine is a strong deterrence to offenders and anyone contemplating going into any crime.”