Court sentences drug smuggler to five years imprisonment

On Thursday, the Federal High Court in Lagos State sentenced Udogwu Johnson to five years in prison for bringing 300 grams of cocaine into the country against the law.

 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 amended charge 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 He said that the defendant jumped bail midway through his trial, and on June 6, 2022, his bail was revoked.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 modified charge, with the markings FHC/L/128c/21, was read to the defendant earlier, when the case was set for hearing on Thursday. The defendant had indicated his intention to change his plea.

According to the new accusation, Johnson allegedly imported 300 grams of cocaine illegally and committed the crime on or about December 25, 2020, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja, Lagos.

Section 11 (a) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Cap N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, was broken, according to NDLEA.

 Johnson entered a guilty plea, and the prosecutor asked the court to find him guilty and sentence him in accordance with the statute he was charged with.

 Justice Oweibo condemned the defendant to five years in jail in his ruling.

Source