The Federal High Court in Lagos State has convicted and sentenced a Spain-bound Nigerian, Francis Akajiobi, to four years imprisonment for trafficking 1.20 kilograms of cocaine.
Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa sentenced Akajiobi on Thursday, October 3, 2024, after he pleaded guilty to the one-count charge filed against him by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency after his arraignment earlier.
The NDLEA prosecutor, Mr. Abu Ibrahim, told the court that the convict was arrested at the Departure Hall of the new terminal of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.
He said the arrest took place on July 25, 2024, while Akajiobi was attempting to board a Royal Air Maroc flight to Valencia, Spain, during the outward clearance of passengers
"He concealed the cocaine inside some footwear,” Ibrahim told the court.
According to Ibrahim, the offence committed contravened Section 11(b) of the NDLEA Act, Cap. N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, which carries penalties for drug trafficking.
Following his plea, the judge ordered the prosecutor to review the facts of the case.
After presenting the facts and tendering exhibits, Ibrahim urged the court to convict and sentence Akajiobi.
“The evidence clearly supports the guilty plea, and we request that the court convict him accordingly,” Ibrahim said.
However, the defence counsel, Benson Ndakara, in his allocutus, pleaded with the court to show leniency.
"My Lord, this is a first-time offender who has saved the court’s time by not opting for a full trial. We plead for mercy in sentencing,” Ndakara said.
After confirming from the prosecutor that Akajiobi had no prior criminal record, Justice Lewis-Allagoa ruled that he could pay a fine of N2m in lieu of serving the four-year prison term.