The convict when he was arrested
A professional drug trafficker, Iwuagwu Ikedi Victory,25 years old was today sentenced to a six-year jail-term, for trafficking in 22 grams of cocaine, a prohibited substance.
Justice Ayokunle Faji passed the jail-term, while delivering judgment in a count-charge of unlawful export of the hard drug made against the convict by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
The convict had pleaded guilty to the charge, when he was arraigned on February 11, 2025.
During his arraignment, the prosecutor, Barrister Abu Ibrahim, tog the court how he was arrested on October 17, 2024, during the inward clearance of passengers aboard Ethiopian Airlines flight from Sao Paulo, Brazil via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia at the E-Arrival Hall of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Ikeja-Lagos.
Barrister Abu had told the court that the convict’s act contravened section 11 (a) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Cap. N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004. And punishable under the same Act.
Following his guilty plea, his lawyer, Oke Ojakovo in his allucutor, pleaded with the court court be merciful with his client for being a first time offender, for not wasting the time of the court. The lawyer also cited several aggravating factors, which he urged the court to considered in giving his client a non-custodian sentence.
Based on his guilty plea and the allucutor made by his lawyer, the court adjourned till today for sentencing.
At the resumed sentence of the convict today, Justice Faji while reading through all the processes which includes the convict’s confessional statements, filed before the court by the prosecutor, read out where the convict confessed to have trafficked the prohibited drug from Brazil to Addis Ababa, the Ethiopia capital on four occasions.
The judge also read where the convict confessed that he came to Nigeria with the 22 grams of the prohibited drug, which he ingested on his last trip from Brazil to Ethiopia, having excreted some before come to Nigeria.
The judge however held that though, the prosecution had told the court that convict did not have any record of previous conviction.
Based on what the judge read out from the convict’s confessional statements, the judge held that the convict did not deserve the mercy plea as prayed by his lawyer.
Consequently,Justice Faji sentenced the drug trafficker to six years imprisonment. The judge held that the jail-term start to run from the day of his arrest on October 17, 2024.
The judge also ordered that the convict’s international travel passport number: A12544164, be forfeited to the Federal government of Nigeria.
Charge Against the convict reads: “that you Iwuagwu Ikedi Victory Male, Adult on or about the 17th October 2024 during the inward clearance of passengers aboard Ethiopian Airlines flight from Sao Paulo, Brazil via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia at the E-Arrival Hall of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Ikeja-Lagos without lawful authority imported 22 grams Cocaine, a Narcotic Drug and you thereby committed an act which is an offence contrary to and punishable under section 11 (a) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Cap. N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.”
