By Onyewuchi Ojinnaka
Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa of a Federal High Court, Lagos on Thursday convicted and sentenced a Spain-bound Nigerian, Akajiobi Francis, to four years imprisonment, for trafficking in 1. 20 Kilogrammes of cocaine.
The convict was sentenced after he pleaded guilty to one count charge of trafficking in Cocaine preferred yagainst him by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
During his arraignment before the court on Thursday, the prosecutor, Mr. Abu Ibrahim had stated in the charge before the court that the convict was arrested with prohibited drug, at the Departure Hall of the new Terminal of the Murtala Muhammed Ikeja, Lagos, during the outward clearance of passengers of Royal Air Maroc to Valencia, Spain.
The convict was said to have concealed the prohibited drug inside some footwears.
Abu submitted to the court that the unlawful act of the convict, contravened Section 11(b) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap. N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, and punishable under the same Act.
After listening to the charge preferred against him, Akajiobi Francis pleaded guilty to the charge.
Based on his plea, the court ordered that prosecutor to review the facts of the case. And upon reviewing the facts of the case and tendering of exhibits, the prosecutor urged the court to convict and sentence the defendant as charged and based on his plea and exhibits tendered.
However, counsel to the convict, Chief Benson Ndakara, in his allocutus, begged the court to tamper justice with mercy in sentencing his client, adding that he is a first time offender who did not waste the time of the court by not allowing the court to go through rigorous process of trial
Based on the allocutus and upon confirming from the prosecutor that the convict was a first time offender, Justice Lewis-Allagoa ordered the convict to pay a fine option of N2 million in lieu of the jail-term.
The charge against the convict reads: “That you Akajiobi Francis, adult, male, on or about the 25th July 2024 at the Departure Hall of the new Terminal of the Murtala Muhammed Ikeja, Lagos during the outward clearance of passengers of Royal Air Maroc to Valencia, Spain without lawful authority exported 1.20 kilograms of Cocaine, a Narcotic Drug and you thereby committed an act which is an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 11(b) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap. N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.”
