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A Lagos-based businessman, Ajah Johnson Uchenna, and his wife, Rosemary Uchenna, have been sentenced to a combined 22 and a half years in prison for drug trafficking and possession of illicit substances.
The sentencing was delivered on Monday, August 4, 2025, by Justice Deinde Dipeolu of the Federal High Court 8 in Lagos, following a four-count charge filed against the couple.
The couple’s arrest dates back to Friday, June 13, when operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) apprehended them in the Ojo area of Lagos. They were caught with 277.5kg of skunk, a potent strain of cannabis, and were subsequently handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for further investigation.
While still in custody, fresh intelligence revealed that the illegal drug operation was still active at their residence. This prompted another raid by NDLEA operatives on Tuesday, July 1, which uncovered an additional 231kg of the same substance stored in their home and warehouse. In total, 414.2kg of cannabis was recovered.
They were arraigned before the Federal High Court in Lagos under charge number FHC/L/632C/2025, facing allegations of conspiracy, illegal dealing, and unlawful storage of narcotic drugs.
According to NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, the court convicted Mrs. Rosemary Uchenna on three counts and sentenced her to 17 years in prison with no option of a fine. Her husband, Johnson Uchenna, received a five-year jail term on one count, plus an additional six months on another, with an option to pay a N1 million fine for the latter.
In addition to the prison sentences, the court ordered the forfeiture of N3,407,000 recovered from the couple, believed to be proceeds from their illegal drug trade, to the Federal Government.
This sentencing is part of the NDLEA’s continued crackdown on drug trafficking and its growing network across the country.
