A man, identified as Udogwu Johnson, has been sentenced to five years imprisonment for unlawful importation of 300 grams of cocaine by the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos State, on Thursday.
According to The PUNCH, Johnson was found guilty of the offence brought against him by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, and Justice Nicholas Oweibo imposed the sentence.
At his court appearance, the defendant admitted guilt to an updated accusation brought against him.
Reviewing the case’s details reveals that the defendant initially appeared before the court on August 12, 2021, however he pleaded not guilty to the charge. This information is provided by the prosecutor, Abu Ibrahim.
He said that the defendant jumped bail midway through his trial, and on June 6, 2022, his bail was revoked.
The defendant was later apprehended again in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State, where he was facing a new drug-related allegation, according to Ibrahim, who testified in court.
The defendant indicated his intent to change his plea when the matter came up for hearing on Thursday, and the judge read the new charge, which was designated FHC/L/128c/21.
According to the amended accusation, Johnson illegally imported 300 grammes of cocaine, performing the crime on or around December 25, 2020, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport’s D-Arrival Hall in Ikeja, Lagos.
The offence, according to NDLEA, violated Section 11 (a) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Cap N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
Following Johnson’s guilty plea, the prosecutor urged the court to convict and sentence him in accordance with the statute under which he was accused.
Justice Oweibo sentenced the defendant to five years in jail in his decision.
