The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has successfully convicted no fewer than 475 persons between September and November 2021 at the Federal High Courts across the country.
A statement issued yesterday by the spokesman of the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, said the figure represents a portion of the over 1,000 traffickers that were jailed between January and November for drug offences.
He said in September, a total of 73 persons were convicted with Jigawa State recording the highest figure of 15 convicts followed by Adamawa State, 14, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), 11.
Jigawa State also topped the chart of the 150 convictions recorded by the agency in October with 14 convicts, followed by Niger, 13; Katsina,12; Taraba, 11, and Lagos,11.
Adamawa and Abia States had the highest conviction figure in November with 23 each out of a total of 252 convictions recorded by the anti-narcotic agency in the past month, while FCT had 21, Plateau had 14.
According to Babafemi, interesting highlights of some of the cases include that of 32-year-old Kalu Orji, who was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment with hard labour on October 13 by Justice E.N.Anyadike of the Federal High Court, Umuahia, Abia State.
The latest sentence makes it the third time Kalu Orji will be convicted and jailed for drug offences. He was first sentenced to eight months in prison on December 15, 2017, by Justice Anyadike, and also jailed for three years on December 13, 2020, by Justice D.E. Osiagor.
Another similar case, Obi Ajah, 58, was also convicted and sentenced to five years imprisonment with hard labour on October 13 by Justice Anyadike. The convict is a second time offender, having been convicted on November 29, 2012, by Justice J.A. Olubanjo of the Federal High Court in Umuahia.
The Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Buba Marwa, commenting on the latest development, commended the various state commands and the Directorate of Prosecution and Legal Services of the agency for their commitment to diligent prosecution of cases filed in courts against drug offenders, saying such will go a long way to strengthen the deterrence effect of the work of the agency.
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