A woman living with a disability, Rita Idehen, has been sentenced to prison along with six others for drug-related crimes in Edo State.
The sentencing took place at the Edo State High Court in Benin City, where different judges handled their cases separately.
These convictions were secured by the Edo State branch of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in July 2025.
Out of the several rulings delivered that month, six were issued by Justice Chuka A. Obiozor, and one came from Justice J. B. O. Quadiri.
The Edo State Commander of NDLEA, Mitchell Ofoyeju, confirmed that a total of fifteen drug-related cases were concluded in July.
Among the fifteen cases, seven resulted in convictions—two women and five men were found guilty, while 113 other cases are still pending.
Reacting to the outcome, Commander Ofoyeju praised the courts, saying the sentences will send a clear warning to others thinking of committing similar crimes.
He stressed that having a disability doesn’t excuse anyone from facing the law when it comes to serious crimes like drug trafficking.
Ofoyeju also mentioned that under the current leadership of Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa, the agency is tightening efforts against drug crimes and believes strong punishments will help reduce future cases.
One of the convicts, 35-year-old Rita Idehen from Oredo in Edo State, was charged with illegal possession and drug dealing.
She was found guilty of having 2.5 kilograms of Cannabis Sativa, 1.8 grams of Loud, and 2.2 grams of Swinol. The court gave her a 15-year sentence or a fine of N3 million.
In another case, Risikatu Tijani from Osogbo, Osun State, was caught with 8.701 kilograms of Cannabis Sativa and 42 grams of methamphetamine.
She was found guilty of drug trafficking and given a 17-year sentence with an option to pay a fine of N4 million instead.
Another convict, Friday Robert, from Owan West in Edo State, was sentenced for transporting 22 kilograms of Cannabis Sativa.
He got 15 years in jail, and the court also ordered the seizure of the motorcycle used in the crime. He can pay N3 million instead of serving time.
Etimesy Stephen from Ndokwa West in Delta State was found guilty of growing nearly 0.6 hectares of Cannabis Sativa.
He received a sentence of 15 years in prison or could pay N1.5 million as a fine.
Salami Philip Timothy from Etsako West, Edo State, was sentenced for having multiple illegal drugs including Cannabis Sativa, Tramadol, Swinol, Danabol, and codeine syrup.
The court gave him 15 years imprisonment or a fine of ₦3 million.
Lastly, Christopher Tanko from Kagarko in Kaduna State was caught with several hard drugs like Cannabis Sativa, methamphetamine, cocaine, Rohypnol, and Tramadol.
He was sentenced to 15 years in prison but could choose to pay a N5 million fine instead.
