A Ghana citizen, Elisha Sokpor, was Friday convicted and sentenced to three years imprisonment, for smuggling 10 kilograms of Tramadol tablet and injection to his country, Ghana, by a Lagos Federal High Court.
Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke, who presided over the court, convicted and sentenced the Ghanaian after he pleaded guilty to the two counts charge of unlawful dealing in the said banned drugs, brought against him by the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
The convict, a resident of Agbozume Volta Region of Ghana, according to NDLEA prosecutor, Mr. Ichakpa Oigoga, who stood in for Mr. Abubakar Aliyu, was arrested on October 15, 2020, at Nigerian Airforce Military checking point, located at
Ahanve-Owode Area of Badagry Local Government Lagos Stat, while attempting to smuggle the drugs enrouté Benin Republic to his country.
Ichakpa told the court that the convict was caught with 1 kilograms of Tramadol tablet and 9 kilograms of Tramadol injection named Tramadol Hydrochloride.
The convict’s act according to the prosecution were contrary to and punishable under Section 11(b) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
The convict did not deny the allegations as he pleaded guilty when it was read to him.
With his guilty plea, the prosecutor, Mr. Ichakpa, urged the court to convict and sentence as charged.
However, counsel to the convict, Mr. Godwin Okaka, pleaded with the court to be lenient in sentencing his client, as he was a first time offender and a victim of circumstances.
On being a victim of circumstances, Okaka, told the court that it was a nurse, who is now on the run that begged the convict, to assist her in carrying the drugs to Ghana, not knowing that it was a prohibited item.
Okaka, therefore, urged the court to temper justice with mercy, by not giving the maximum punishment for the offences.
In considering Okaka’s plea, Justice Aneke, said he is mindful of the negative effect of the hard drugs in our society, he consequently sentenced the convicted Ghanaian to three years imprisonment on each count.
Justice Aneke while ordered that the terms of sentence should run concurrently, also ordered the jail term will start counting from the day of his arrest.
