How Nollywood filmmaker Mbadiwe Emmanuel Emeka Imported Canada Loud From The US

On February 11, 2025, the Federal High Court in Lagos convicted American-trained Nollywood filmmaker, Mbadiwe Emmanuel Emeka, sentencing him to five years imprisonment for trafficking 17.30 kilograms of “Canada Loud,” a potent strain of Cannabis Sativa.

Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa presided over the case, which was prosecuted by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

Emeka was apprehended on December 24, 2024, during an inspection of incoming cargo from Houston, USA, at the National Handling Company (NAHCO) Import Shed of Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja, Lagos.

The NDLEA’s prosecutor, Abu Ibrahim, revealed that Emeka had enlisted Uzoekwe Ugochukwu James to facilitate the importation of the banned substance.

These actions contravened Section 21(1)(e) and were punishable under Section 11(a) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, Cap. N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

Upon his arrest, Emeka confessed to the crime and pleaded guilty to the charges. Following his plea, the prosecution presented evidence, including the seized drugs, Emeka’s confessional statements, and an iPhone Pro Max 12.

In light of this, the prosecutor urged the court to convict and sentence Emeka accordingly.

In mitigation, Emeka’s attorney, Dennis Warri, requested leniency, highlighting his client’s prompt guilty plea and remorse. He appealed for a non-custodial sentence or a fine as an alternative to imprisonment.

Considering the submissions, Justice Lewis-Allagoa sentenced Emeka to five years imprisonment but provided an option of a ₦3 million fine in lieu of the custodial sentence. Additionally, the court ordered the forfeiture of the seized drugs and the iPhone Pro Max 12 to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

The charges against Emeka specified that he had, without lawful authority, imported 17.30 kilograms of Cannabis Sativa, a narcotic drug, into Nigeria, thereby committing an offense contrary to Section 21(1)(e) and punishable under Section 11(a) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act.