A total of one thousand, four hundred and forty-five (1,445) drug related cases have been concluded at the various divisions of Federal High Court across Nigeria between January and June 2023.
Nigeria’s Anti-narcotic Agency, the National Drugs Laws Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), made the successful prosecution through the Directorate of Prosecution and Legal Services.
The agency’s spokesperson, Mr. Femi BabaFemi who disclosed this in a press statement said, trial of eleven thousand, one hundred and sixty-six (11,166) other drug suspects is ongoing in various courts.
He said, 555,953.70 kilograms of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, cannabis, tramadol and others linked to them have been seized within the period.
Of the over eleven thousand pending cases, 10,626 of them are men while the rest, 540 are women.
BabaFemi explained that, out of the 1,445 convicts, 221 of them are females while 1,541 are males.
Meanwhile, justice E.A. Obile of the Federal High Court 2, Port Harcourt has sentenced a 34-year-old South American man from Suriname, Dadda Lorenzo Albert to 13 years imprisonment on both counts without an option of fine.
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Albert, who was convicted on two counts for importation and unlawful possession of 9.9kgs cocaine, was arrested by operatives NDLEA some time ago at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Port Harcourt, Rivers state, for bringing into Nigeria 117 parcels of cocaine concealed in extra-large latex condoms factory packed inside bottles of 100ml body spray.
The trial judge also ordered the forfeiture of the sum of Ninety ($90) United States Dollars and Ten (R$10) Brazilian Real recovered from the convict at the time of his arrest to the Federal Government.
The court refused the application by Counsel to the convict for him to be deported back to his country.
As a result, the convict is now serving his term of imprisonment at the Correctional Centre, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, southern Nigeria.
In his reaction, the Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, retired Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa said that, the conviction and sentencing without the option of fine will serve as a strong deterrence to offenders and anyone contemplating going into any crime.
