The Federal High Court in Lagos on Monday sentenced Okechukwu Nwachukwu, Osita Ilechukwu and Blessing Eluwa to five years imprisonment for cocaine trafficking.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) arraigned them in 2014 for conspiring to import 5.89 kg of cocaine from Brazil.
Prosecution counsel Abu Ibrahim called 11 witnesses in the trial which began on March 10 last year.
Justice Mojisola Olatoregun-Ishola found the defendants guilty but gave them an option of N5million fine.
โI am satisfied that the three accused persons conspired in furtherance of the offence for which they are charged to court. On the whole, I find that the prosecution succeeded in discharging the onus on it to establish its case, I find each of the accused guilty as charged and each is accordingly convicted.โ
During allocutus (plea for mercy), defence counsel asked the court to be merciful since it was February, the season of love.
Delivering the verdict, the judge said: โThe three accused are first offenders. They must, however, be strongly deterred as there is no shortcut to wealth.
โOn count one, the accused are sentenced to a term of five years imprisonment each or an option of N5million fine. On count two, the second accused is sentenced to a term of five years imprisonment with an option of N5 million fine
โOn count three, the third accused is sentenced to a term of five years imprisonment with an option of N5 million fine.
โThe terms of imprisonment shall run consecutively while the fines are cumulative.
โThe exhibit 5.89 kg of cocaine together with the substance in exhibit F1 are to be destroyed by men of the NDLEA within 90 days if there is no appeal against this judgment. The exhibits are not to be recycled,โ she held.
