...Man, 36, bags 37 years jail for drug trafficking

He was arraigned before Justice Ayotunde Faji of a Federal High Court in Lagos on a one-countcharge of unlawful exportation of the banned drug. He pleaded guilty. Upon his guilty plea, Justice Faji in his judgment held that “The offence which the convict is charged with is rampant and it has damaged the nation’s image.

“Consequently, I shall sentence the convict to four years imprisonment, starting from April, 2018. I also order that the convict shall be deported back to Congo at the completion of his jail term,” he said.

Also, a Federal High Court in Lagos has sentenced a 36-yearold man to a total of 37 years imprisonment, for unlawful importation of 1.515 kilogrammes of cocaine into Nigeria from Brazil.

The convict, Efobi Onyeka Innocent, was arraigned before the court by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), on a three-count charge which bordered on unlawful possession of the drug and conspiracy to unlawfully import the drug into the country.

He had earlier pleaded not guilty when he was first arraigned before the court, which made the court presided over by Justice Ayotunde Faji to order the prosecution to open its case against him.

During the trial, Mrs. Juliana Imaobong Iroabuchi, lawyer to the NDLEA called six witnesses, who testified how the convict was arrested at the arrival hall of Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, on September 27, 2017, when it was discovered that he ingested the drug from Brazil enroute Morocco and how he excreted same six times during interrogation. While the trial was on, the convict changed his plea and pleaded guilty to all the three count charge preferred against him by the prosecution.

Upon his change of plea, his lawyer pleaded with the court to be lenient in sentencing him on the ground that he is a first time offender who had no previous criminal record and has become remorseful of his act while in detention.

Sentencing the convict, Justice Faji however said: “One must not lose sight on the rampancy of the crime. Consequently, I shall sentence you, Efobi Onyeka Innocent, to 15 years imprisonment on count one, seven years on count two and fifteen years on count three. The terms shall run concurrently”.