Businessman bags seven years imprisonment for exporting hard drug

By Onyewuchi Ojinnaka

Senior Correspondent

A Federal High Court, Lagos presided over by Justice Jude Dagat on Wednesday  convicted and sentenced one  Gilbert Chukwuemeka Kelvin, a businessman  to seven years imprisonment, for unlawful exportation of hard drug to South Africa.

The accused was convicted after the Judge found him guilty of committing the offence and therefore sentenced him accordingly. He was found guilty on one count charge of unlawful exportation of methamphetamines, levelled against him by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

The anti-narcotic agency in the charge marked FHC/L/446c/2014, alleged that the convict was arrested at the departure hall of Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja-Lagos, while attempting to export 9.980 kilograms of Methamphetamines, to Johannesburg, South Africa.

During his arraignment sometime in 2015, the prosecutor, Mr. Ichapa, had told the court that the offence is contrary to Section 11(b) of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, 2004, and punishable under the same Act.

The convict had pleaded not guilty to the charge on arraignment in 2015, and was granted bail.

His trial commenced during which the prosecution tendered several documents and the seized drug, which were admitted as exhibit by the court; while the accused also put up his defence.

Delivery judgment on the matter n Wednesday, Justice Dagat, declared that the prosecution has been able to prove its case beyond every reasonable doubt, and pronounced him guilty as charged.

Gilbert Chukwuemeka Kelvin was consequently convicted and sentenced to seven years imprisonment with hard labour by the judge.