Justice Deinde Dipeolu of the Federal High Court, Lagos has convicted and sentenced a Qatar-based Nigerian businessman, Uchegbu Obi and two others to five years imprisonment for conspiracy and trafficking in 38.5 kilogrammes of tramadol.
Others jailed by Justice Dipeolu for the offences are Usman Musa Inda and Sani Lawan Salisu.
The prosecutor, Augustine Nwagu, told the court that the convicts were arrested on December 30, 2023, during the outward clearance of cargo to Kano on Max Airline at the Cargo Shed of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Domestic Wing, Ikeja, Lagos.
Nwagu told the court that the convicted men conspired with the duo of Alkaseem Usman Kurah and one Jamilu, who are both at large, to commit the crimes.
He said the offences were contrary to section 14(b) and section 20(1)(a) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, and were punishable under section 20(2)(a) of the same Act.
The convicts pleaded guilty to the charges after they were read to them by the court registrar.
Following their plea, the prosecutor, with the permission of the court, reviewed the facts of the case and urged the court to convict and sentence them based on their plea, exhibits tendered and in line with section 274(2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015.
However, the defence lawyer, Chief Benson Ndakara, in his allucutor, pleaded with the court to give his clients an option of a fine instead of the custodian sentence.
Justice Dipeolu, in the judgment, sentenced the convicted men to five years imprisonment but ordered them to pay the sum of N3 million fine each instead of the jail term.
The charges against the convicted men read: “that you, Uchegbu Onyebuchi Obi, male, 51 years; Usman Musa Inda, male, 48 years; Sani Lawan Salisu, male, 48 years in December 2023 conspired with Alkaseem Usman Kurah and Jamilu (both now at large) to traffic 38.50 kilogrammes of Tramadol 250 mg, a psychotropic substance similar to Heroin and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 14(b) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
“That you, Uchegbu Onyebuchi Obi, male, 51 years; Usman Musa Inda, male, 48 years; Sani Lawan Salisu, male, 48 years on or about the 30th day of December 2023, during the outward clearance of Cargo to Kano on Max Airline at the Cargo Shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Domestic Wing 2, Ikeja, Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court without lawful authority trafficked 38.50 Kilograms of Tramadol 250 mg a psychotropic substance similar to Heroin and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 20(1)(a) and punishable under Section 20(2)(a) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.”
