Justice Daniel Osiagor, sitting at the Federal High Court in Lagos, convicted and sentenced a 49-year-old man, Chukwu Kingsley to 10 years’ imprisonment for dealing in banned codeine and tramadol.
Kingsley was given the jail term after he pleaded guilty to two counts of unlawful exportation of 5.70 kilogrammes of Tramadol 225mg and 5.10 kilogrammes of codeine syrup.
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The convict was brought before the court by the men of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
The prosecutor, Mr Augustine Nwagu, told the court that the convict was arrested with the banned drugs on September 13, 2022, during the outward clearance of passengers on an Asky Airline flight to Italy via Lome at the Departure Hall of Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.
He also told the court that the offences contravened Section 20(1)(a) and were punishable under Section 20(2)(a) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
The convict pleaded guilty to the charge made against him.
Following his guilty plea, the court asked the prosecutor to review the facts of the charge.
The prosecutor, after reviewing the facts of the charge, and tendering some exhibits, which included his confessional statement, laboratory test analysis report, the seized drug and his travelling documents, urged the court to convict and sentence him.
But counsel for the defendant, Dennis Warri, urged the court to temper justice with mercy in sentencing his client.
Warri, also urged the court to consider the option of fine in lieu of the sentence.
Justice Osiagor, in his judgment, considered the submissions of the prosecutor and the convict’s counsel, and a plethora of authorities, and sentenced the convict to 10 years in prison.
The judge, however, ordered the convict to pay the sum of N1 million, in lieu of the jail term. While also ordering that the banned drug seized from the convict be destroyed if there is no appeal against his judgement within the period stipulated by law.
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