A Federal High Court in Lagos has sentenced a businessman, Uyiosa Omoregie, to one year imprisonment for attempting to illegally export large quantities of banned drugs, including tramadol and Rohypnol.
Justice Deinde Dipeolu delivered the judgment on Thursday after the convict pleaded guilty to two counts of unlawful exportation of controlled substances filed by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
According to the prosecution led by Abu Ibrahim, Omoregie was arrested on July 16, 2025, at the Tarmac Baggage Hall Basement of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos. He was found in possession of 3.60 kilograms of tramadol and 400 grams of Rohypnol, which he intended to smuggle to Pakistan.
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The NDLEA revealed that the arrest was carried out through a joint operation involving aviation security and anti-drug operatives. The prosecutor noted that the offences contravened Section 11(b) of the NDLEA Act, Cap N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
After the guilty plea and presentation of evidence, the prosecution urged the court to apply the provisions of Section 274(2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, to convict and sentence the accused.
However, the defense counsel, Dennis Warri, pleaded for leniency, requesting a non-custodial sentence or an alternative fine. In his ruling, Justice Dipeolu sentenced Omoregie to one year imprisonment on each count, to run concurrently, with an option of a ₦7 million fine in place of the prison term.
The court also ordered that the seized drugs be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria. This conviction highlights the ongoing crackdown by the NDLEA on drug trafficking and the agency’s zero-tolerance stance against narcotics smuggling.
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