Lagos court jails dispatch rider for illegal tramadol trafficking after NDLEA prosecution over unlawful drug distribution in Lagos

The Federal High Court in Lagos has jailed a 33-year-old dispatch rider, Yahaya Nuru, for unlawful distribution of tramadol and other prohibited drugs, after convicting him on four counts brought by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.

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Justice Musa Kakaki delivered the judgment on Wednesday after Nuru pleaded guilty to all charges.

The prosecution, led by Peter Ekuri, told the court that the offences were committed in November 2025 at No. 6 Ashogbon Street, Lagos Island.

Ekuri said Nuru conspired with two other suspects, Abdulrazak and Chukwu Emmanuel Emeka, who remain at large, to deal illegally in controlled substances.

He said the convict was arrested with 4.12 kilograms of tramadol hydrochloride, 40 millilitres of tramadol hydrochloride injection, one litre of diazepam injection and 1.04 litres of tramadol hydrochloride injection, intended for dispatch to different buyers.

The offences contravened Sections 20(1)(a) and 11(c) of the NDLEA Act and are punishable under Section 20(2)(a) of the same law.

Following the guilty plea, Ekuri urged the court to convict and sentence the defendant in line with Section 247(2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act.

Defence counsel pleaded for leniency, urging the court to temper justice with mercy on the grounds that Nuru was a first-time offender who saved judicial time by admitting guilt.

In his ruling, Justice Kakaki said he had considered the allocutus and the circumstances of the case before imposing sentence.

The judge sentenced Nuru to four years on the first count, five months on the second count, one month on the third count and three years on the fourth count.

The court also imposed fines of N300,000, N30,000, N50,000 and N200,000 respectively as options.

Justice Kakaki ordered that both the custodial sentences and the fine options should run concurrently.

Also read: NDLEA Cracks Lagos Drug Syndicate, Multiple Arrests

The conviction marks another decisive outcome in the campaign against illicit drug trafficking in Lagos, as authorities continue to tighten enforcement against narcotics distribution networks.