A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has convicted and sentenced a 43-year-old make-up artist, Adekoya Adebukonla Mary, to three years’ imprisonment for attempting to export 2.20 kilogrammes of cocaine to India.
The court, presided over by Justice Musa Kakaki delivered the judgment after the defendant pleaded guilty to a two-count charge bordering on conspiracy and unlawful exportation of a narcotic drug.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) had arraigned Adekoya following her arrest on June 16, 2025, at the E-boarding gate of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, during the outward clearance of passengers on a Qatar Airways flight headed to India via Doha.
According to the prosecution, led by Abu Ibrahim, the mother of two was intercepted with the substance, later confirmed as cocaine, concealed in her luggage.
The prosecutor told the court that Adekoya acted in concert with one Akeem Ayinde Aderiola, also known as Adekanbi Akeem Ayinde, who is currently at large.
He informed the court that the offence contravened sections 14(b) and 11(b) of the NDLEA Act, Cap N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, and carries severe penalties given the danger posed by illicit drug trafficking.
Adekoya, upon being arraigned, admitted to committing the offences and entered a guilty plea.
Following this, the prosecutor reviewed the facts of the case through one of the arresting NDLEA officers, who explained how the convict was profiled, searched, and subsequently apprehended with the prohibited substance.
Having established the facts, the prosecution urged the court to convict and impose a sentence reflecting the gravity of the offence.
However, Adekoya’s counsel pleaded for leniency, explaining that his client had been lured into the criminal act due to her deteriorating health and financial desperation. He informed the court that Adekoya was battling fibroid complications and had been seeking funds for a medical procedure in India.
Her early guilty plea, he argued, was a demonstration of remorse and willingness to a take responsibility. He therefore asked the court to consider an option of fine in place of a custodial sentence.
Justice Kakaki, after evaluating the plea for mercy, sought confirmation from the prosecution regarding Adekoya’s criminal history.
Upon being informed that she was a first-time offender with no previous convictions, the couyears'ted for a moderate custodial sentence.
The judge sentenced her to three years imprisonment, noting that her plea had been taken into account but emphasising the seriousness of drug-related crimes.
In addition to the jail term, Justice Kakaki granted several post-conviction orders sought by the prosecution. He ordered the forfeiture of Adekoya’s international passport and travel documents to the Federal Government, directing that they be remitted to the Nigerian Immigration Service for appropriate action.
The court also ordered the forfeiture of her mobile phones and all items recovered from a hotel and suites believed to be proceeds of drug trafficking.
The property, Rockford Hotel & Suites located at 1 Feyisara Street, Off Itokin Road, Ajegunle, Sango-Ota, Ogun State, was likewise forfeited to the Federal Government.
The charges against Adekoya outlined that she conspired with her accomplice, who remains at large, to unlawfully export the cocaine, and later attempted to smuggle the substance through the Lagos airport without lawful authority.
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