By: Ben TC Brooks |River Gee Correspondent
Fish-Town, River Gee County| May 22, 2026 | Judicial authorities in River Gee County have continued efforts to reduce illegal drug activities and protect local communities from the harmful effects of narcotics.
Recent court rulings in Fish-Town and Gbeapo Kanweaken highlighted stronger enforcement of Liberia’s 2023 Drugs and Controlled Substances Act.
One of the biggest cases involved 36-year-old Nigerian national K.C. Okonkwo, who was sentenced to ten years in prison for unlawful possession of controlled substances.
The ruling was made during the February A.D. 2026 Term of Court at the 15th Judicial Circuit Court in River Gee County.
The judgment was delivered by Her Honor Nancy Finda Sammy, then presiding Circuit Judge of the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit Court.
Court records showed that Okonkwo was indicted by the Grand Jury of River Gee County on December 4, 2025, on charges linked to illegal drugs.
During the court proceedings, the defendant pleaded not guilty, leading to a full jury trial where both the prosecution and defense presented witnesses and evidence.
The jury later returned a guilty verdict on all counts brought before the court.
However, after reviewing the case, Judge Sammy ruled that prosecutors did not fully prove the charge of unlicensed transportation of controlled substances.
Still, the court upheld the conviction for unlawful possession, which is considered a first-degree felony under Liberia’s drug law.
In deciding the sentence, the court reviewed reports about the defendant’s conduct while in detention.
The law provides a punishment ranging from 10 to 20 years, and the court imposed the minimum sentence of ten years imprisonment.
The court also ordered that the ten months Okonkwo already spent in detention since May 26, 2025, be deducted from his sentence.
This means he is expected to serve about nine years and two months at the Fish-Town Central Prison. Judge Sammy ended the ruling by stating, “And it is hereby so ordered.”
Authorities said the case followed a major operation by the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency on May 22, 2025.
During the operation, officers reportedly intercepted a suspicious parcel and discovered 106.9 grams of heroin along with 101.0 grams of precursor substances valued at more than L$713,700.
In another drug-related case, the Gbeapo Kanweaken Magisterial Court sentenced Harrison Doe and Daniel Dweh of Tienpo Nyonken to one year in prison each.
The two men were convicted for unlawful possession, distribution, transportation, sale, and trafficking of controlled substances.
Court officials confirmed that both men were taken to Fish-Town Central Prison, where they will serve sentences from May 18, 2026, to May 18, 2027.
Residents and legal observers believe these rulings send a strong message against drug trafficking and support ongoing efforts to make communities safer and healthier across River Gee County.
