By Jude-Ken Ojinnaka
A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Monday, sentenced a business man, Ifeanyi Igboma, to a cumulative term of 12 years imprisonment, over drug trafficking.
Ifeanyi Igboma was arraigned before Justice Daniel Osiagor by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on a six counts charge bordering on unlawful exportation of Cannabis sativa, Rophynol and Tramadol narcotics
After listening to each of the six counts, the defendant pleaded guilty to all counts of the charge.
Following his plea, the prosecutor, Mr Abu Ibrahim, reviewed the facts of the case, and tendered several exhibits before the court.
He, then urged the court to convict the defendant based on his plea and evidences adduced by prosecution.
Consequently, the court convicted the defendant on the charge .
Meanwhile, pleading for mercy on behalf of the defendant, defence counsel, Mrs Vivian Ekweh, told the court that the convict is a first offender with no past criminal records. She said that the convict did not waste the time of the court, adding that he is remorseful.
She pleaded with the court to give the convict a non custodial sentence or an option of fine in line with Section 416(b) of ACJA 2015.
Defence counsel, therefore, urged the court to tamper justice with mercy in favour of the convict.
The prosecutor also confirmed to the court that the defendant had no past criminal record.
In his verdict, the court sentenced the convict to two years imprisonment on each of the six counts, but added that the terms of imprisonment shall run concurrently.
The court also gave an option of fine of N500,000 on each of the counts, which the court said shall run consecutively.
By a concurrent jail term, the convict is to spend two years in the correctional service, which means, he is to serve all terms of the counts simutaneously.
Whereas, the option of N500,000 fine is to run consecutively which means it is to be computed in isolation making it a total of N3 million fine .
In the charge, the convict was said to have committed the offence on July 15 at the departure hall of the Murtalla Mohammed Airport.
He was said to have conspired with one Mohammed Abubakar who is said to be currently in custody of the Nigerian Army, to export 7kg of Cannabis, 300g of Rophynol and 500g of Tramadol, to Oman.
The narcotics were said to be uncovered during the outward clearance of passengers onboard a Qatar Ariline flight to Oman.
The offence contravenes the provisions of Sections 11(c) , 14(a), 14(b), 20, and 20(1) of the NDLEA Act Cap N30 Law of the Federation 2004.
