For flagrantly ignoring the laws of Nigeria, a Federal High Court, Lagos, sitting before Justice Salliu Saidu, today, October 21, 2019 convicted and sentenced a Sudanese, Guma Ismail Mahdi Abdalla to two years imprisonment for trafficking in hard drug.
The convict was charged before the court, by the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on one count charge trafficking in 1.44 kilograms of Methamphetamine.
Arraigning the convict before the court, NDLEA prosecutor, Ali Ibrahim, told the court that the convict was arrested with the banned powdery substance on June 24, 2019, at Gate ‘A’ of the departure hall of Murtala Muhammed International Airport, during an outward clearance of passengers on Ethiopia Airline Flight to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Ibrahim told the court that the substance is one of the Psychotropic Substances under International Control. And that the offence committed by the convict 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.
The convict who did not have any legal representation, pleaded guilty to the charge.
Following his guilty plea, the prosecutor urged the court to pronounce the accused guilty as charged and convict him accordingly.
Upon the submission of the prosecutor, the convict, in his allocutor, pleaded with the court to tamper justice with mercy.
He told the court that he is a first time offender and has no any relations in Nigeria. He therefore pleaded with the court to tamper justice with mercy in sentencing him.
Following the plea for mercy made by the convict and confirmation by the prosecutor that he is a first time offender, Justice Saidu sentenced him to two years imprisonment
Justice Saidu also ordered that the drug seized from the convict be destroyed by the NDLEA if there is no any appeal against the judgment.
The Charge against the convict reads: That you Guma Ismail Mahdi Abdalla, Sudanese, Male, Adult, on or about the 24th June, 2019 at Gate ‘A’ of the Departure Hall of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja Lagos at the check in counter, during the outward clearance of Passengers on Ethiopian Airlines Flight to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia without Lawful Authority Exported 1.44 kilogrammes of Methamphetamine, a Psychotropic Substance, under International Control and you thereby committed an offence contrary to andpunishable under Section 11(b) of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, Cap. N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004″.
