The Federal High Court in Abuja today sentenced the notorious transnational drug barons Christian Uwaezuoke and Agbo Prince to life imprisonment for the masterminding of a gigantic cocaine trafficking syndicate that operated on a global scale. Making the announcement, Femi Babafemi, Director, Media and Advocacy at the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), said the duo was convicted for trafficking more than 26 tonnes of cocaine, one of the largest drug seizures in Africa.
His first known involvement in the drug trade occurred in 2022 when he was arrested at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja with 100 large wraps of cocaine concealed within his body. He was granted bail after pleading not guilty but fled after an arraignment. His bail was revoked and a bench warrant issued by the court, on 19 May 2023, for his arrest. Uwaezuoke’s second arrest occurred at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos in 2023 while attempting to smuggle 1.822 kilos of cocaine destined to India.
He was identified as Yakubu Samson Abubakar but, after pleading guilty, he was sentenced by the court to seven years in prison. He served his seven-year jail term before the Federal High Court in Abuja charged him on another set of offences. He pleaded guilty once again. But thinking he had been punished enough for the offence, the court concentrated on his lack of remorse and repeated offences to sentence him to life imprisonment.
Agbo Prince’s criminal operations came to light when he was arrested at the Abuja airport with 49 cocaine wraps bound for Hong Kong. He pleaded guilty.