A Federal High Court sitting in Enugu, has sentenced two drug traffickers to fifty-five years in jail.
One
of the convicts, Deborah Okafor, a 30-year-old professional dancer, was
charged with conspiracy, trafficking and unlawful possession of 3.450kg
of amphetamine, while the other, Iheme Onyemauchechukwu, was charged
with trafficking and unlawful importation of 9.975kg of heroin. They
were both arrested at the Enugu airport.
A statement by the
National Drug Law Enforcement Agency said Okafor would have been paid
the sum of $3,500 if she successfully made her trip to Malaysia.
She
was convicted and sentenced by Justice D. V. Agishi to 10 years each in
counts one and two and 20 years in count three making her sentence 40
years altogether.
The second convict, Onyemauchechukwu, 27, was
charged with trafficking and unlawful importation of 9.975kg of heroin.
He was convicted as charged and sentenced to 10 years in count one with a
fine of N1m and five years in count two with a fine of N500,000,000.
Okafor reportedly hid 3.450kg of amphetamine inside the pockets of jean trousers in her luggage.
She
told the court that she was broke and needed money. “I had been
approached on many occasions to smuggle drugs but I declined. I thought
that I could earn some quick money in few days,” she stated.
Onyemauchechukwu
said he was recruited in Tanzania by a suspected drug cartel in East
Africa. He told investigators that he smuggled drugs because he was
stranded.
“I used to sell phone accessories before I left the
country. I wanted to go to Malaysia in search of job opportunities but I
was stranded in Tanzania. Then I met a Nigerian who gave me money and
promised to assist me get back to Nigeria. He offered to give me some
money to start up my business. He later took me to Bujumbura in Burundi
where I was given 9.975kg of heroin hidden inside cosmetics,” he stated.
NDLEA Chairman,Ahmadu Giade, expressed satisfaction with the judgment.
He
said, “While this punishment is expected to correct the convicts, it
will equally help to deter others from getting involved in drug
trafficking. The agency commits huge resources in drug investigation,
arrests and prosecution. Judgment like this will further lend credence
to the nation’s anti-drug campaign.”
Source:http://www.ladunliadinews.com/2015/06/pictured-two-young-nigerians-get-55.html?m=1
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