A Nigerian national, John Chimezie Mba, has been sentenced to 24 years in prison without parole or suspension in Liberia after pleading guilty to three drug-related offences.
The Fifth Judicial Circuit Court handed down the sentence on October 8, 2026, following Mba’s guilty plea under Liberia’s 2014 Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, according to a statement by the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA).
Presiding over the case, Justice Victoria Worlobah Duncan sentenced Mba to 10 years’ imprisonment for possessing controlled drugs without a licence, seven years for transporting and selling drugs, and another seven years for illicit trafficking.
The court ordered the sentences to run consecutively, bringing his total prison term to 24 years.
According to the LDEA, Mba, who resides in Sierra Leone, was intercepted by drug enforcement officers at the Bo Waterside Port of Entry while attempting to enter Liberia.
His behaviour reportedly aroused the suspicion of officers, prompting further investigation.
While in detention, Mba allegedly complained of stomach pain before excreting 66 tubes of cocaine, which were subsequently recovered by authorities.
The seized drugs were valued at $39,204, equivalent to 7,056,720 Liberian dollars, according to the agency.
Upon completion of his prison sentence, Mba is expected to be deported to Nigeria.
The case underscores Liberia’s enforcement of its drug-control laws against individuals involved in the possession, transportation and trafficking of prohibited substances.
