Court jails drug trafficker 25 years without fine

A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Monday convicted and sentenced Mr Carr Bismark, a trafficker in prohibited hard drug to 25 years imprisonment over unlawful export of 889 grams of cocaine.

The trial judge Justice Deinde Isaac Dipeolu passed the sentence on Bismarck, who also bears Ogbonna Charles Freeman after he pleaded guilty to one count charge of the offence, preferred against him by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

While arraigning the defendant before he pleaded guilty today (Monday ), the prosecutor, Mr. Abu Ibrahim, told the court that he was arrested with the prohibited substance, which he attempted to export unlawfully, on March 31, 2024, at Screening 2 of the New Terminal, Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, during the outward clearance of Qatar Airways flight to India, via Doha, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The prosecutor submitted before the court that the illegal act of the convict, contravened Section 20(1)(a) and punishable under Section 20(2)(a) of the NDLEA Act Cap. N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria. Section 20(2)(a) of the NDLEA Act, prescribed 20 years imprisonment for anyone convicted in drug trafficking.

After listening to the charge Bismark admitted committing the offence and pleaded guilty to the one count charge.

In view of his guilty plea, the prosecutor applied for review of the facts of the charge, as well as to tender all the evidence in the matter, from the Bar.

Upon reviewing the facts of the charge and tendering of the evidence which were admitted as exhibits by the court, the prosecutor urged the court to convict and sentence Bismark in accordance to the section of the law which he was charged with.

In his allocutus, defence counsel Dennis Warri pleaded with the court to tamper justice with mercy in sentencing his client.

While citing plethora of authorities, he urged the judge to use his discretion and grant his client a non-custodial sentence or an option of fine in lieu of the jail-term.

Going through the submission made by the prosecutor, that anyone charged with Section 20(1)(a) of the NDLEA Act is liable to life imprisonment, Justice Dipeolu sentenced the convict to 25 years imprisonment without a fine option.

The charge against the convict reads: “That you Carr Bismark a.k.a. Ogbonna Charles Freeman, male, adult, on or about the 31st March 2024 during the outward clearance of Qatar Airways flight to India, via Doha, United Arab Emirates at Screening 2 of the New Terminal, Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja-Lagos, without lawful authority exported 889grams of Cocaine, a Narcotic Drug and you thereby committed an act which is an offence contrary to Section 20 (1) (a) and punishable under Section 20 (2) (a) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap. N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.”