A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has brought a definitive end to the high-profile trial of prominent socialite Funmilola Arike Ogbuaya, popularly known as “Ariket,” sentencing her to 45 years in prison. Justice Dehinde Dipeolu delivered the landmark judgment on Wednesday, convicting Ogbuaya on charges related to the unlawful exportation of 1.595kg of cocaine to Saudi Arabia.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) secured the conviction on three counts: conspiracy, illegal possession, and the distribution of banned substances. While Justice Dipeolu handed down a 15-year sentence for each count, he ordered that the sentences run concurrently. Effectively, this means the convict will serve 15 years, with the period backdated to May 19, 2017, when she was first taken into custody.
The legal saga began in February 2017 following the arrest of Odeyemi Omolara (alias Ariyo Monsurat Olabisi) at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport. Omolara was intercepted during the outward clearance of an Egypt Air flight. In a dramatic scene recounted by prosecution witness Mrs. Iyabode Shonibare, Omolara reportedly broke down upon her arrest, shouting, “Arike has killed me!”
Omolara subsequently turned into a key witness, confessing that Ogbuaya was the mastermind behind the operation and had provided the illicit drugs for delivery to Saudi Arabia. While Omolara pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 25 years in 2017 by Justice Hadiza Rabiu Shagari, Ogbuaya maintained a plea of “not guilty,” leading to a protracted trial that lasted nearly seven years.
The sentencing marks a significant victory for the NDLEA in its ongoing crackdown on high-profile drug trafficking syndicates within the country.
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