Court Convicts Drug Trafficker For Second Time In 2 Years

A notorious drug baron, Igwe Onwukwe, who was convicted and jailed in 2020 by the Federal High Court in Lagos for drug trafficking has again been sentenced to two years imprisonment with hard labour by the same court.

This time, Onwukwe, who claimed to be a clearing agent, was jailed by Justice Peter Lifu for attempting to smuggle 32.400 kilogrammes of cannabis sativa into the United Kingdom.

Another judge of the court, Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke had in November 2020 sentenced the convict to two years imprisonment for attempting to smuggle 1. 64 kilogrammes of cannabis sativa out of the country.

Justice Aneke had, however, given him an option of an N500,000 fine.

Not long after paying the fine, the convict was again re-arrested on October 15, 2021, by the operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for attempting to export 34.400 kilograms of the banned substance.

He was then arraigned before Justice Lifu on a three count-charge of conspiracy, unlawful exportation of the banned weed and procuring one Ikechukwu kelvin to unlawfully export the illicit drug.

The prosecutor, Abu Ibrahim had told the court that the convict was arrested with the drug on October 15, 2021, at Export Shed, a customs point at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, during the clearance of cargoes to London, United Kingdom.

Ibrahim also informed the court that the convict conspired with the duo of Ezeugo and one ‘James Darren’ of Peckham, United Kingdom, (both now at large), to engage in the illicit act.

The convict had pleaded not guilty to the charge when he was first arraigned before the court but midway into his trial, he changed his plea.