Justice Nicholas Oweibo of the Federal High Court in Lagos has sentenced John Kanu and Obinna Eze to four years imprisonment each for unlawful possession of 145kg of elephant tusks and 839.4kg of pangolin scales. The men were arrested along with others during joint wildlife enforcement operations by the Nigeria Customs Service and Wildlife Justice Commission targeting illegal wildlife traders and traffickers.
Following their arrest, the suspects were arraigned on an amended charge marked FHC/L/123c/22 with Kanu and Eze pleading guilty, while their co-accused, Anthony Onyebuchi and Monday Nnamani, pleaded not guilty.
During proceedings, prosecutor David Ereh told the court that the convicts and others, on February 2, 2022, conspired to warehouse the prohibited items at Adeba in Ibeju Lekki, Lagos State. Their actions, he argued, contravened Sections 516, 7(3), 7(4), 5 (1) (a) of the Criminal Code Act, Law of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, and 2016.
While pleading for mercy for his clients, Chukwu Agwu, the defendants’ lawyer, urged the court to temper justice with mercy in sentencing his clients. However, the prosecution called for the two men to be sentenced according to the sections of the laws that they were charged with.
In his ruling, Justice Oweibo sentenced Kanu and Eze to two years each on counts one and two but pardoned them on count three. The case has been adjourned till September 28 for the trial of the remaining two defendants.
This case highlights the ongoing problem of illegal wildlife trade in Nigeria, which has played a significant role in the decline of many endangered species, including elephants and pangolins. It is crucial that law enforcement agencies continue to work collaboratively to prevent the trade and ensure those who flout the law are brought to justice.
