Justice Musa Kakaki of the Federal High Court in Lagos has sentenced a clearing agent, Ernest Ani, to three and a half years in prison for smuggling 81.7 kilogrammes of Cannabis Sativa into Nigeria.
Justice Kakaki sent Ani to prison after he pleaded guilty to a two-count charge of unlawful importation of a prohibited substance.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) had accused the convict of conspiring with an accomplice, Ikwuneme Chukwuemeka, who is currently at large, to smuggle the prohibited drug into Nigeria through the Tincan Island Container Terminal in Apapa, Lagos.
The agency claimed that the drugs were concealed in two vehicles: a 2005 Toyota Corolla and a 2009 Pontiac Vibe.
The prosecutor, Adekunle Adebajo, had argued in court that the offence is contrary to and punishable under Section 11(a) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Act, Cap N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (LFN) 2004.
Based on his guilty plea, Adebajo reviewed the facts of the case, presented evidence, and urged the court to convict and sentence Ani in accordance with the law.
The prosecutor also urged the judge to order the forfeiture of the two vehicles used for smuggling the drugs.
However, the defence lawyer, Raphael Imikaiye, described his client as a victim of circumstances, claiming he had been deceived by a customer.
Imikaiye pleaded for leniency in the sentencing and advocated for a non-custodial sentence.
After confirming that the convict was a first-time offender, Justice Kakaki sentenced him to two years on one count and one and a half years on the other count.
The judge ordered the forfeiture of the two cars – a 2005 Toyota Corolla and a 2009 Pontiac Vibe – to the federal government of Nigeria.
While considering the lawyer’s plea for a non-custodial sentence, the judge ordered Ani to pay a fine of N2 million and N1.5 million on the two charges.
