A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, has convicted and sentenced four men to a combined 13 years in prison for unlawful transportation of tramadol, a controlled narcotic drug, weighing 1.234 tonnes.
The convicted men are: Kabiru Jabir, 23; Abdullahi Abubakar, 22; Muhammed Nuhu, 22; and Abdulrazaq Mustapha, 22.
Their conviction was sequel to their guilty plea to a two counts-charge made against them by the anti-narcotic agency.
The convicted men were arraigned before Justice Akintayo Aluko led-court, today, by the operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency in a Charge marked FHC/LAG/CR/579/2026.
The prosecutor, Buhari S. Abdullahi who led Peter Ekuri, informed the court that the dou of Jabir and Abubakar were involved in the transportation of 638 Kilogrames of Tramadol on July 2, 2026, along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
The prosecutor further informed the court that the the two men transported the consignment from Ogere, Ogun State, to Lagos State without lawful authority, using a Howo Sino truck with registration number DED 633 XC and chassis number LZZPBYSF4MF324168.
In a second count of the charge, the prosecutor info the court that Nuhu and Mustapha transported another 597 Kilogrames of Tramadol on the same date and route, in another Howo Sino truck, with registration number DED 630 XC and chassis number LZZ5BXSF6MF321165.
The prosecutor told the court that the convicts’ illegal acts contravened sections 11(b) and14 (b) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, Cap N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
The convicts admitted committing the offences and pleaded guilty to the charges.
Based on their plea, the prosecutor through a witness reviewed the facts of the charge, as well tendered all exhibits, which includes parts of the prohibited drugs, their confessional Statements.
The prosecutor thereafter prayed the court to convict and sentence them based on their plea, exhibits tendered, their confessional statements and sections of the laws they were charged with.
The prosecutor also prayed the court to forfeit the two trucks which were used as instrumentalities for the conveyance of the prohibited drugs,
But the convicts’ lawyer, Emmanuel Uchenna Okenyin, in his allocutor pleaded with the court to be merciful with his clients on the ground that they were first time offenders, for not wasting the time of the court, among others
Okeyin also pleaded with the court to give his clients a non-custodial sentence.
In his judgment, Justice Aluko after considering the evidence and circumstances of the case, sentenced the dou of Kabiru Jabir and Abdullahi Abubakar to seven years imprisonment each. While both Muhammed Nuhu and Abdurazaq Mustapha were sentenced to six years imprisonment each.
The judge however ordered Kabir and Abdullahi to pay N10 million each as fine option. While also ordered Muhammed and Abdulrazaq to pay N8 million as fine option.
The judge, after citing plethoras of authorities, also ordered final forfeiture of the two trucks: Howo Sino Truck with Registration Number: DED 633 XC and Chassis Number: LZZPBYSF4MF324168, and Howo Sino Truck with Registration Number: DED 630 XC, to the Federal government of Nigeria.
Charges against the convicts read: “that you Kabiru Jabir, Male, 23 years old, and ABDULLAHI ABUBAKAR, Male, 22 years old, on or about the 2nd day of July, 2026, at Lagos Ibadan Expressway, Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, without lawful authority, transported 638 Kilograms of Tramadol a narcotic drug similar to Cocaine, LSD and Heroin from Ogere, Ogun State to Lagos State using a Howo Sino Truck with Registration Number :DED 633 XC and Chassis Number: LZZPBYSF4MF324168 and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 11 (b) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, Cap N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
“That you Muhammed Nuhu, Male, 22 years old, and Abdulrazaq Mustapha, Male, 22 years old, on or about the 2nd day of July, 2026, at Lagos Ibadan Expressway, Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, without lawful authority, transported 597 Kilograms of Tramadol a narcotic drug similar to Cocaine, LSD and Heroin from Ogere, Ogun State to Lagos State using a Howo Sino Truck with Registration Number: DED 630 XC and Chassis Number: LZZ5BXSF6MF321165 and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 14 (b) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, Cap N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.”