The Federal High Court in Lagos has convicted and sentenced a 49-year-old man, Chukwu Kingsley, to 10 years imprisonment for attempting to export codeine and Tramadol outside the country.
Kingsley was jailed by the trial judge, Justice Daniel Osiagor, after he pleaded guilty to two counts charge of unlawful exportation of 5.70 kilograms of Tramadol 225mg and 5.10 kilogram of Codeine syrup.
The convict was arraigned before the court by the men of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
The prosecutor, 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.
Nwagu claimed that the offence violated section 20(1)(a) and was punishable under Section 20(2)(a) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
While reviewing the facts of the case, the prosecutor tendered some exhibits, which included the convict’s confessional statement, laboratory test analysis report, the seized drug and his travelling documents.
Nwagu also urged the court to convict and sentence the convict by the sections of the laws under which he was charged.
But the defence counsel, Dennis Warri, urged the judge to temper justice with mercy, urging the court to consider the option of a fine instead of a custodian sentence.
After considering the submissions of the prosecutor and the convict’s counsel, Justice Osiagor sentenced the convict to 10 years imprisonment.
