Zero Tolerance: Lagos Businessman Sentenced to Jail for Attempted Drug Export

In a stern verdict against drug trafficking, a Federal High Court in Lagos has convicted and sentenced a businessman, Uyiosa Omoregie, to one year of imprisonment for his attempt to unlawfully export a large quantity of illicit drugs. The judgment, delivered on Thursday by Justice Deinde Dipeolu, is the latest in a series of convictions secured by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in its ongoing war against drug abuse and trafficking.

According to the prosecution counsel for the NDLEA, Abu Ibrahim, Omoregie was apprehended on July 16, 2025, at the Tarmac Baggage Hall Basement of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja. The arrest, a collaborative effort between NDLEA operatives and aviation security, came after the suspect was found with 3.60 kilograms of tramadol and 400 grams of Rohypnol, a psychotropic substance. The prosecutor told the court that Omoregie had intended to smuggle the prohibited drugs to Pakistan.

Following his arrest, Omoregie was arraigned on a two-count charge of unlawful exportation of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, offenses that contravene the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act. When the charges were read to him in court, he pleaded guilty.

After his guilty plea, the defense counsel, Dennis Warri, pleaded with the court for a non-custodial sentence or a fine, arguing for leniency. However, in his judgment, Justice Dipeolu sentenced Omoregie to one year of imprisonment on each count. The judge ordered that the sentences run concurrently, meaning they would be served simultaneously. In addition, the judge gave Omoregie the option of paying a N7 million fine in lieu of the custodial sentence and ordered that the seized drugs be forfeited to the Federal Government.

The conviction is a testament to the NDLEA’s relentless efforts to combat the drug trade. The agency, under its current leadership, has intensified its operations at airports, seaports, and land borders to disrupt the activities of drug traffickers. The case of Uyiosa Omoregie is a stark reminder that no one, regardless of their social standing, is above the law. It sends a clear and powerful message that Nigeria will not be a transit route for drug traffickers and that those who engage in such criminal activities will face severe consequences.