Marwa declares end of safe haven for traffickers, lauds judiciary and officers for swift justice
Felix Mbata, Lagos state
The first quarter of 2026 will go down as a watershed in Nigeria’s war against illicit drugs, with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) securing 974 convictions, including 11 notorious drug kingpins sentenced to a combined 254 years in prison. The figures, released on Friday 17th April 2026, signal a decisive shift: Nigeria is no longer a safe haven for those who profit from destroying its youth.
Between January and March, NDLEA courts across the country jailed 899 men and 75 women for drug offences. Monthly convictions rose steadily: 265 in January, 316 in February, and 393 in March, reflecting what the agency called “accelerated prosecution and the judiciary’s thinning patience for drug merchants.”
The Fall of the Kingpins
Topping the list is 42-year-old Italy-based businessman, Adegbite Solomon, also known as Obama. Arraigned on 15 counts before Justice Musa Kakaki of the Federal High Court, Lagos, in suit no. FHC/L/851C/2025, the repeat offender was on 18th March convicted on all charges and sentenced to 130 years in prison. Justice Kakaki handed him 15 years each on counts 1 to 6; 10 years each on counts 7 and 15; and four years each on counts 8 to 12, to run concurrently. The court also revoked his pharmacy licence and ordered the forfeiture of two branches of his pharmacy and funds in three bank accounts to the Federal Government.
Also jailed was 32-year-old Ridwan Animashaun, sentenced to 25 calendar years by Justice Nkenoye Evelyn Maha of the Federal High Court, Ibadan, on 26th February 2026 in charge no. FHC/IB/97C/2025. Animashaun was previously convicted in July 2022 by Justice Uche Agomoh after NDLEA arrested him on the Lagos/Ibadan expressway on 27th March 2022.
In Abeokuta, Rauf Asogba, 28, and Seun Olaniyi, 24, each received 17 years from Justice Abiodun Jordan Adeyemi on 28th January 2026 for trafficking 1,779 kilograms of skunk in suit no. FHC/AB/160C/2025.
Two others bagged 15 years each: 54-year-old Jonathan Nuhu, alias Doctor, convicted by Justice Mohammed Nasir Yunusa in Kano on 17th March 2026 in FHC/KN/CR/96/2023; and 40-year-old Idris Yusuf, sentenced by Justice Fatima Murtala Nyako in Damaturu on 31st March 2026 in FHC/CR/6/21. Yusuf received an additional eight-year term in a separate NDLEA case, FHC/CR/DM/16/24.
Seven-year terms were handed to Godday Obizuo in FHC/AK/64C/2024; Asabe Abubakar in FHC/BAU/CR/16/2026; and Godwin Peter, Asuquo Christian, and Olabode Sunday in FHC/AD/CR/66/2024.
Marwa: ‘The Long Arm of the Law Has Caught Up With Their Greed’
NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), said the convictions mark a turning point. “Securing 974 convictions in just three months is a testament to the relentless spirit of our officers and the thinning patience of the Nigerian state toward drug merchants,” he declared. “To the 11 kingpins who thought they were untouchable, their 254-year collective residency in correctional centres is a firm reminder that the long arm of the law has finally caught up with their greed.”
Marwa commended the judiciary for accelerated hearings, stating, “Swift justice is the most potent deterrent.” Addressing NDLEA personnel, he said: “Your bravery in the face of danger is yielding fruit. We will continue to prioritise your welfare and provide the tools needed to stay ahead of these criminal syndicates.”
He added: “These victories belong to the citizens who provide the intelligence that fuels our operations.”
CONCLUSION: For Posterity and Purpose
This record is not merely for the news cycle. It is for history. It documents the quarter when Nigeria’s institutions — enforcement and judicial — aligned to send an unambiguous message: the era of impunity for drug syndicates is over.
The 974 convictions and 254 years handed to 11 kingpins stand as evidence that purpose-driven leadership, inter-agency resolve, and citizen vigilance can reclaim a nation’s future from the grip of narcotics. For every youth saved from addiction, for every community spared the scourge, and for every officer who risked his life on the frontline, Q1 2026 will be remembered as the quarter Nigeria chose prosperity over poison.
Let this serve the purpose for which it was written: a testament that when a nation decides to act, no cartel is too big, no kingpin too connected, and no network too hidden to escape justice.
Femi Babafemi
Director, Media and Advocacy
NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja
Friday 17th April 2026