Two notorious drug barons – 37-year-old Ajetsibo Emami, better known on the streets as “Warri Kinsman”, and 51-year-old Solomon Akpomuai – have finally been brought to justice, with a Federal High Court in Lagos handing them a combined 10-year prison sentence.
Emami’s arrest came after NDLEA operatives stormed Ikeja in a three-day sting operation that crushed his drug trafficking empire. The agency’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, revealed that the raid uncovered 24 jumbo bags containing a staggering 681 pouches of Canadian Loud, a premium strain of cannabis, weighing 414.2 kilograms. According to NDLEA, the shipment was meant to be moved to Lekki for statewide distribution.
Arraigned before Justice Deinde Dipeolu, Emami was convicted on one count of illicit drug dealing and sentenced to six years in prison. However, the court gave him an option of paying a ₦50 million fine in lieu of serving jail time.
Similarly, Akpomuai’s fall began on the Shagamu–Ijebu-Ode expressway where Customs officers intercepted his massive cargo of 2,197.8 kilograms of skunk. He was later transferred to the NDLEA and arraigned before Justice Dipeolu. The judge handed him a four-year prison term with an option of a ₦50 million fine as well.
NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), hailed the convictions as a major step forward in Nigeria’s battle against illicit drugs. He noted that the outcome reflects the success of the agency’s balanced strategy of cutting off supply chains while also reducing demand.
Marwa commended the judiciary, NDLEA officers, and stakeholders who played vital roles in the investigation and prosecution, stressing that with continued collaboration, Nigeria will eventually defeat the scourge of drug abuse and trafficking.
