Italy-Based Nigerian Sentenced to 15 Years for Cocaine Trafficking

Tunde Philip, an Italy-based Nigerian, was convicted and sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment by Justice Ibrahim Kala of the Federal High Court in Lagos for attempting to traffic 4.8 kilogrammes of cocaine from Nigeria to Italy. The conviction followed Philip's guilty plea to a one-count charge of unlawfully exporting narcotic drugs, as presented by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

He was arrested on September 27, 2026, during an outward clearance for passengers boarding a Royal Air Maroc flight from Lagos to Milan, Italy, via Casablanca. The prosecutor, Arit Okon, stated that Philip was apprehended in the New Terminal Departure Screening area of Murtala Muhammed International Airport with the cocaine.

The prosecution provided evidence, including the substances, test analysis certificates, and Philip's Nigerian passport. Chief Lilian Omotunde, Philip's defense counsel, requested leniency, noting he was a first-time offender and had shown remorse.

Justice Kala sentenced him to 15 years with an option of a N50 million fine and ordered the forfeiture of his passport and iPhone to the federal government, along with the destruction of the seized cocaine.