Federal High Court Jails Husband, Wife 23 Years for Cannabis Trafficking
A federal high court in Lagos has sentenced businessman Ajah Johnson Uchenna and his wife, Rosemary Uchenna, to a cumulative 22 and a half years in prison for orchestrating an extensive cannabis trafficking enterprise from their residence.
A statement released on Tuesday by Femi Babafemi, spokesperson for the NDLEA, noted that the couple was initially apprehended on June 13 by operatives of the Department of State Security (DSS) in the Ojo area and subsequently transferred to the NDLEA, along with 277.5 kilograms of skunk, a potent strain of cannabis.
Babafemi stated that while the couple remained under investigation in custody, reliable intelligence indicated that their illicit operations persisted at their home.
“This led to a raid on their residence and a storage facility, where NDLEA operatives recovered 231 kilograms of the same substance on Tuesday, July 1,” the statement detailed.
The couple was subsequently arraigned under charge number FHC/L/632C/2025 at the Federal High Court, Lagos, on a four-count charge encompassing conspiracy, handling, and storage of 414.2 kilograms of cannabis sativa.
Delivering his verdict on Monday, August 4, Justice Dipeolu found Mrs. Rosemary Uchenna guilty on counts 1, 2, and 3, sentencing her to 17 years in prison without the possibility of a fine. Her husband, Johnson Ajah Uchenna, was convicted and sentenced to five years imprisonment on count one and six months on count four, with an option of a one million Naira fine.
In addition to the prison sentences, the trial judge ordered the forfeiture of Three Million, Four Hundred and Seven Thousand Naira (₦3,407,000.00), seized from the couple as proceeds of crime, to the Federal Government.
Similarly, a federal high court in Kano, presided over by Simon Amobeda, convicted and sentenced Neetu Neetu, a 42-year-old Indian national, to five years imprisonment for importing 72 parcels of heroin, factory-sealed in wafer wraps and disguised as chocolates, into Nigeria via the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport.
“The class A drug consignment was discovered in Neetu’s luggage after a meticulous search, following actionable intelligence, during the inward clearance of Qatar Airways flight QR1431 from Bangkok, Thailand, via Vietnam and Doha, at the Kano airport’s arrival hall on Friday, March 14, 2025,” the statement added.
Neetu was subsequently arraigned under charge number FHC/KN/CR/65/2025 before Justice Amobeda, who ultimately sentenced her to 10 years on two counts, with an option of a two million Naira fine.
Reacting to the convictions and forfeitures, Buba Marwa, NDLEA chairman, lauded the various agency commands and officers who managed these cases.
“Nothing serves the cause of justice more than imposing lengthy prison terms on criminal elements and ensuring the forfeiture of all assets acquired through their illicit drug trade. We are pleased with these judicial pronouncements, which will not only motivate our personnel to intensify their efforts but will also have a lasting impact on our drug control initiatives,” Marwa stated.
