A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, presided over by Justice Tijani Ringim, has convicted and sentenced a drug courier, Ezenyenchy Kingsley Ebuka, to three years imprison for illegally dealing in 250 grams of heroine.
Ebuka, who inserted 250 grams of heroine in his anus while on Turkish Airline flight from Pakistan, enroute Istanbul to Nigeria was convicted and sentence to three years imprisonment by Justice Ringim of the Federal High Court, Lagos.
According to the charge, Ebuka, 34-year-old and one Aku, who lives in Pakistan and who Ebuka claimed normally help him to ship his goods from Pakistan to Nigeria, were alleged to have on or about the 14th day of June, 2021 conspired to import 250 grams of heroine from Pakistan to Nigeria, which Ebuka inserted in his anus and excreted same in one exretion.
The offence commited, according to the charge, is said to be contrary to and punishable under section 14 (b) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, Cap N 30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
However, sometimes in November, during the trial, the defendant informed the court of his intention to change his plea from not guilty to guilty and the prosecuting counsel, Juliana Imaobong Iroabuchi, consequently, withdrew the second count, which bordered on conspiracy against the defendant.
Iroabuchi also reviewed the facts of the case during which she tendered 13 exhibits and two statements made by the defendant.
Following the review of the facts, Iroabuchi urged the court to convict the defendant as charged and Justice Ringim consequently convicted Ebuka based on the evidence placed before the court by the prosecution and the admittance of guilt by the defendant.
Following the conviction, counsel to the defendant, Mr Adebayo Onifade, in his allocutos urged the court to temper justice with mercy.
Onifade submitted that the defendant is a first time offender, who did not waste the precious time of the court, adding that he has been remorseful, learnt his lesson and may not go to crime if given another opportunity.
Following Onifade’s allocutos, Justice Ringim sentenced the convict to three years imprisonment from the date of his remand and further ordered the forefeiture of Ebuka’s international passport to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The charge against the defendant reads: “That you Ezenyenche Kingsley Ebuka, Male, 34 years old, a citizen of Nigeria and one Aku, male, adult, who lives in Pakistan, a man who normally helps you ship your goods from Pakistan down to Nigeria (now at large) on or about the 14th day of June, 2021 during the inward clearance of Turkish Airways from Pakistan through Istanbul at the “D” Arrival Hall of the Murtala Mohammed Internatonal Airport, Ikeja, Lagos within the jurisdiction of this honourable court and without lawful authority, imported 250 grams of heroin from Pakistan to Nigeria, which you inserted in your anus and excreted same, thereby committed an cffence contrary to and Punishable under section 11 (a) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap N, 30 Laws of the Federation of Nigera 2004.
