Court Jails Businessman 4 Years Over Cocaine Importation
Justice Hadizat Rabiu-Shagari of a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos yesterday convicted and sentenced a businessman, Nwosu Joseph to four years imprisonment for unlawful importation of 1.295 kilograms of Cocaine.
The convict was charged before the court by the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on a count-charge of drug trafficking.
NDLEA had claimed that the convict had on October 30, 2016, during inward clearance of Royal Air Morocs flight from Sao Paulo, Brazil, to Lagos via Casablanca, at “D” Arrival Hall of Murtala Muhammad International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, without lawful authority Imported 1.295 kilograms of Cocaine.
The offence, the NDLEA prosecutor, Augustine Nwagu, said contravened section 11(a) of the NDLEA Act Cap. N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, and punishable under the same Act.
The convict, who had earlier pleaded not guilty to the charge, when he was first arraigned before the court later change his plea.
Upon the changing of plea by the convict, the court called on the prosecutor, Nwagu, to review the facts of the case.
After, reviewing the fact of the case, prosecutor urged the court to convict and sentence him accordingly.
However, lawyer to the convict, Chief Benson Ndakara, in his allocutor, pleaded with the court to tamper Justice with mercy in sentencing his client.
Delivering judgment in the case, the presiding judge, Justice Shagari held that the prosecution had successfully proved the case against the convict beyond reasonable doubt.
Consequently, Justice Shagari sentenced the convict to 48 months imprisonment starting from today.
In alternative, the judge imposed a fined of N3 million on the convict while ordering that the banned drug be destroyed by the anti-narcotic agency, if the is verdict is not appeal against after 30 days.