An Angolan citizen, Mbala Dajou Abuba, has been sentenced to five years in prison by a state court in Kano, northern Nigeria, after being convicted of international drug trafficking.
The verdict was delivered on Wednesday, June 19, and includes a provision for his deportation to Angola, where he will serve the entirety of his sentence.
Abuba was apprehended by Nigerian authorities on February 25, 2025, at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport while attempting to board a flight to Istanbul, Turkey.
Investigators discovered he had ingested 120 capsules containing a total of 1.829 kilograms of hard drugs.
According to court documents and the findings of the Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the substance tested as 100% pure, with an estimated street value of nearly $100,000.
The NDLEA’s forensic laboratory confirmed the drug’s composition, elevating the case to one of serious transnational concern.
Judge Muhammed Nasiru Yunusa, who presided over the trial, described the crime as part of an “organized and international drug trafficking network.”
However, he cited several mitigating factors in the sentencing, including the fact that Abuba was a first-time offender, had dependents in Angola, and was not a Nigerian national.
While Angola and Nigeria currently lack a formal extradition agreement, Judge Yunusa ruled that Abuba be deported to his home country to serve the prison term. Legal analysts say this case underscores the need for updated bilateral protocols on criminal repatriation.
A five-member diplomatic committee from the Angolan Embassy in Nigeria, led by Counselor Ineclito Anastácio Lima, was present throughout the proceedings.
Both nations are expected to revisit the extradition issue during the upcoming Angola-Nigeria Bilateral Joint Commission meeting in Luanda, where officials will discuss streamlining judicial cooperation and easing diplomatic strains related to transnational crime.
The case adds to growing international concerns over the use of West African routes for drug smuggling into Europe and Asia, and highlights the continued efforts of Nigerian authorities to dismantle trafficking networks operating within its borders.
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