Okoh was arrested on December 13, 2025, at about 1:30 p.m. by agents of the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA) assigned in Rivercess County. The arrest followed the execution of a search and seizure warrant obtained from the Cestos City Magisterial Court.
According to court records, LDEA agents searched the defendant’s premises in Solo Village, Yarnee District, where they discovered a consignment of narcotic substances in what was described as a “chemist/mixing room.” The substances seized included marijuana, kush, and lawo, with an estimated total street value of LRD$198,000.00.
Following his arrest, Okoh admitted to the crime of Unlicensed Possession of Controlled Drugs and Substances, in violation of Section 14.89 of Liberia’s New Penal Law. He was formally charged, forwarded to court, and subsequently indicted by the Grand Jury of Rivercess County during the November 2025 Term of Court.
During his arraignment on Monday, February 16, 2026, the defendant pleaded guilty to the charge contained in the indictment, leaving the court with no alternative but to adjudge him guilty and sentence him in line with Chapter 16, Section 16.5 of the Criminal Procedure Law.
In handing down the sentence, the court emphasized the devastating impact of illicit drugs on Liberia’s youthful population. The presiding judge noted that narcotic substances not only destroy lives but also embolden users to commit serious and heinous crimes, thereby posing a grave threat to society.
The court further declared that it would not allow individuals engaged in what it described as a “genocidal enterprise” of drug trafficking to continue endangering future generations for economic gain. It called on the public to support law enforcement agencies, particularly the LDEA, by identifying and reporting individuals involved in the sale of illegal drugs within their communities.
The court adjudged Joe Okoh guilty and sentenced him to ten years imprisonment at the Cestos City Central Prison.
The 14th Judicial Circuit Court in Rivercess County has sentenced a 55-year-old Nigerian national, Joe Okoh, to ten years imprisonment at the Cestos City Central Prison after he pleaded guilty.
