LDEA SECURES 24-YEAR SENTENCE FOR NIGERIAN COCAINE TRAFFICKER; DEPORTATION ORDERED

ROBERTSPORT, Grand Cape Mount County, Liberia — October 9, 2026: The Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA) has secured a 24-year prison sentence for Nigerian national John Chimezie Mba, following his guilty plea to three drug offenses involving cocaine valued at US$39,204 (LRD 7,056,720).

Mba, a resident of Sierra Leone, was arrested at the Bo Waterside Port of Entry while attempting to enter Liberia after LDEA investigators flagged his suspicious behavior. While in detention, he complained of stomach pain and subsequently excreted 66 tubes of cocaine, which were recovered by authorities.

On October 8, 2026, Her Honor Victoria Worlobah Duncan of the Fifth Judicial Circuit Court sentenced him to 10 years for unlicensed possession, seven years for transportation and sale, and seven years for illicit trafficking under Liberia’s 2014 Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. The court ordered 24 years’ imprisonment without parole or suspension, followed by deportation to Nigeria upon completion of his sentence.

The judgment reinforces the LDEA’s commitment to disrupting cross-border drug trafficking and holding offenders accountable under Liberian law.

The LDEA calls on the public to remain vigilant and report suspected drug-related activities through its official hotlines: 0777-133-333 / 0888-133-333.

Signed: S/A G. Olando Demey Chief, Public Relations Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA) Cell: 0770-839-720