Justice Ayokunle Faji of a Lagos Federal High Court, has convicted and sentenced a drug baron, Aniede Chimezie Bright, to six years jail term, for attempting to export 7.10 Kilograms of a banned substance, Methamphetamine, to Madrid, the Spain capital.
Justice Faji, convicted and sentenced the baron after he changed his earlier ‘not guilty’ plea to ‘guilty’.
The convict had pleaded not guilty to a count charge of unlawful export of the said banned substance, when he was first arraigned before the court sometime in 2021.
NDLEA, in the charge marked FHC/L/109c/2021, stated that the convict was arrested with the banned substance on March 28, 2021, at the Gate ‘C’ of the Departure Hall of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja-Lagos, during the outward clearance of passengers Royal Air, Maroc, flight to Madrid, Spain via Casablanca, Morocco.
The offence, according Mr. Abu Ibrahim, NDLEA prosecutor, is contrary to and punishable under Section 11(b) of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, Cap. N30, Laws of the Federation Of Nigeria, 2004,
However, at the resumed trial on March 31, 2022, the convict through his lawyer, E. C. Ezeoke, signified his intention to change his not guilty plea, consequently, the judge adjourned the matter for review of fact and sentence.
At the resumed hearing of the matter, the prosecutor, Mr. Abu Ibrahim, of the review of fact of the charge, tendered some exhibits, which include: the convict’s confessional statement, his international passport, part of the analysed drug, the bulk of the drug and others, which were admitted by the court.
Upon reviewed the facts of the charge and tendering of exhibits, the prosecutor urged the court to sentence the convict according to section 11(b) of NDLEA Act.
But his counsel, Ezeoke, pleaded with the court to tamper justice with mercy in sentencing the convict.
He urged the court to consider that the convict did not waste the court’s precious time and that he was a first time offender, who had become remorseful since he was arrested and vowed not to engage in crime anylonger.
Justice Faji, after listening to the submissions of counsel, and cited several plethora of authorites, sentenced the convict to six years imprisonment without option of fine.
Justice Faji, however, ordered that the jail term start to run from March 31, 2022, when the convict change his plea.
Charge Against the convict reads: “that you Aniede Chimezie Bright, Male, Adult, on or about the 28 March, 2021 at Gate ‘C’ of the Departure Hall of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja-Lagos, during the outward clearance of passengers Royal Air, Maroc, flight to Madrid, Spain via Casablanca, Morocco, without lawful exported 7.10 kilogrammes of Methamphetamine, a Psychotropic Substance, under International Control and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 11(b) of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, Cap. N30, Laws of the Federation Of Nigeria, 2004.”
