Two Nigerians escape death for drug trafficking

KUALA LUMPUR: Two Nigerian men escaped the noose yesterday after the High Court here acquitted and discharged them for trafficking in 2,818.2gm of Methamphetamine without calling for their defence.

Judge Datuk Azman Abdullah ordered the release of Folarin Aderemi Saheed, 29, and Obodozie Ifeanyi Henry, 32, after finding that the prosecution had failed to establish a prima facie case against them at the end of the prosecution case.

In the judgment, Azman said the testimony by the investigating officer in denying there were phone calls made between the two accused and the fifth prosecution witness (SP5), who is a lorry driver, showed there was no link between them prior to the meeting.

“This shows SP5 was contacted by a third party, who is unknown, and the possibility that the two accused were just the middlemen,” he added.

The two Nigerian men, who are former students of a private college here, were jointly charged with trafficking in the drug at a roadside in front of Telekomunikasi Vision shop at Jalan 7/40, Taman Pusat Kepong, Sentul.

They were charged under Section 39B(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act, which provides the mandatory death sentence upon conviction.

The prosecution was conducted by deputy public prosecutor Aznika Mohd Anas, while Folarin and Obodozie were represented by lawyers K. A Ramu and A. Jaya Seelan, respectively. — Bernama