A physically-challenged woman and six other persons have been sentenced to a combined 93 years in prison for drug-related offences.
The convicts were found guilty of unlawful possession, trafficking, and cultivation of various illicit substances, including cannabis and methamphetamine.
The convictions followed separate cases prosecuted by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
The verdicts were delivered by Justices Chuka A. Obiozor and J.B.O. Quadiri of the Federal High Court sitting in Benin City, Edo State, between July and early August 2025.
One of the convicts, 35-year-old Rita Idehen from Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State, was sentenced to jail for possessing cannabis sativa, loud, and swinol.
During her trail, the prosecution disclosed that Idehen had attempted to traffic the banned substances within the state, stressing that her physical condition was not a mitigating factor.
After presenting the evidence against her, judge noted that the prosecution has proven without doubt that the 35-year-old woman was found guily of the charges against her.
Following the evidence tendered against Idehen, the judge sentenced her to 15 years imprisonment or an option to pay N3 million fine.
The six others, convicted in related cases across different parts of Edo, Delta, Osun, and Kaduna States, received jail terms ranging from one to seventeen years, some with the option of fines.
The agency described the case as part of a troubling pattern where suspects seek to hide behind personal circumstances to avoid justice.
NDLEA Edo State Commander, Mitchell Ofoyeju, commended the judiciary for its support and warned that physical disability would not shield anyone from prosecution.
“You cannot hide under the canopy of being physically challenged to commit strict liability crimes like drug trafficking,” he said.
He added that the convictions were part of 15 concluded cases in July 2025, while over 100 more remain pending in court.
Ofoyeju reaffirmed the agency’s resolve to dismantle drug networks under the leadership of NDLEA Chairman, Brigadier-General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd.).
