Edmonton man jailed for four years after bringing loaded gun to probation

A 24-year-old man from Edmonton has been jailed for four years and eight months after police found a loaded gun in his coat during a probation appointment in Barnet. Noble Nwokocha, who performs under the name ‘Drilla’, was arrested on 29 July 2024 while attending a meeting linked to his licence conditions following a 2023 conviction for selling heroin and cocaine in Essex.

Officers from Essex Police’s Operation Raptor conducted the arrest as part of an investigation into alleged drug supply and child criminal exploitation offences. The converted blank-firing revolver was discovered inside Nwokocha’s coat during the stop. He admitted possession of a firearm but denied ownership, telling officers, “That’s not mine.”

Claim of coercion rejected

Nwokocha told the court he had been forced to take the weapon by gang associates. He said he was approached while sleeping in the communal toilets of a London park and threatened with a knife if he refused. He claimed he intended to hand the gun in during his probation appointment but had not yet done so.

The prosecution did not accept his account of coercion. However, it did not oppose the version of events for sentencing purposes. Nwokocha was sentenced at an unspecified Crown Court to four years and eight months in prison.

Second conviction for serious crime

Detective Sergeant Jon Kemp of Essex Police’s Operation Raptor said this was the second time the force had taken action against Nwokocha for serious criminality. He had been released on licence after his 2023 conviction but remained under scrutiny.

Kemp added that Nwokocha had been given an opportunity to move away from crime after his previous conviction. Instead, he continued to associate with individuals linked to drug dealing, violence and weapons offences. Kemp described the reality of such criminality as far removed from the image often portrayed in music videos and social media, emphasising the consequences of arrest, imprisonment and loss of freedom.

What happens next

Nwokocha will serve his sentence in a young offender institution or prison. It is unclear whether he will face further charges related to the ongoing investigation into drug supply and child criminal exploitation. Essex Police have not specified whether additional arrests have been made in connection with the case.