A Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, on April 26, 2026, sentenced a Lagos-based socialite, Funmilola Arike Ogbuaya, popularly known as Ariket, to a cumulative 45 years’ imprisonment for her role in the unlawful exportation of cocaine to Saudi Arabia.
Trial judge Dehinde Dipeolu found Ogbuaya guilty on three counts bordering on conspiracy, possession, and illegal exportation of 1.595 kilograms of cocaine.
The court imposed 15 years on each count, but ordered that the sentences run concurrently, meaning the convict will serve 15 years in total.
Significantly, the court ruled that the sentence would take effect from May 19, 2017, the date of her arrest, effectively crediting her for time already spent in custody.
The judgment brings to a close a case that has spanned nearly a decade, highlighting the slow pace of high-profile drug prosecutions within Nigeria’s criminal justice system.
The case originated from the February 2017 arrest of Ogbuaya’s associate, Odeyemi Omolara, also known as Ariyo Monsurat Olabisi, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport while attempting to board a flight to Saudi Arabia with the illicit substance.
During interrogation, Omolara implicated Ogbuaya as the supplier of the cocaine. She later pleaded guilty and was convicted, receiving a 25-year prison sentence from Hadiza Rabiu Shagari, now a Justice of the Court of Appeal.
Prosecution witnesses in Ogbuaya’s trial detailed how the operation was allegedly coordinated, including testimony that the co-defendant had visited Ogbuaya’s residence shortly before the failed drug export and that the convict personally transported her to the airport.
In her defence, Ogbuaya admitted knowing the co-defendant but denied involvement in drug trafficking, insisting she was unaware of the contents of the bag in question.
However, the court held that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt and proceeded to convict and sentence her accordingly.
Despite pleas for leniency by defence counsel, who described her as a first-time offender with dependents, the court ruled that the gravity of the offence warranted strict punishment.
