A Nigerian man, John Chimezie Mba, has been sentenced to 24 years in prison without parole or suspension in Liberia for drug trafficking after he was found with 66 tubes of cocaine in his stomach.
The Fifth Judicial Circuit Court handed down the sentence on October 8, 2026, after Mba pleaded guilty to three drug-related offences under Liberia’s 2014 Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, according to the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA).
Justice Victoria Worlobah Duncan sentenced him to 10 years for possessing controlled drugs without a licence, seven years for transporting and selling drugs, and another seven years for illicit trafficking. The sentences will run one after another, bringing his total prison term to 24 years.
The LDEA said Mba, who lives in Sierra Leone, was intercepted by its officers at the Bo Waterside Port of Entry while trying to enter Liberia. His behaviour reportedly raised suspicion, leading officers to investigate further.
While in detention, Mba allegedly complained of stomach pain before excreting 66 tubes of cocaine, which authorities recovered.
The seized drugs were valued at $39,204, equivalent to 7,056,720 Liberian dollars.
After completing his prison sentence, Mba is expected to be deported to Nigeria.
