A drug trafficker, Carr Bismark, has been convicted and sentenced to 25 years imprisonment, by a Lagos Federal High Court, for unlawful export of 889 grams of cocaine.
Bismarck, who also bears Ogbonna Charles Freeman, was given the jail-term by Justice Deinde Isaac Dipeolu, after he pleaded guilty to a count charge of the offence, made against him by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
while arraigning the convict, the prosecutor, Mr. Abu Ibrahim told the court that he was arrested with the prohibited drug, 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).
He told 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 involved in drug trafficking.
The convict, admitted committing the act and pleaded guilty to the one count, when the charge was read to him.
Based on his plea, the prosecutor, Mr. Abu urged the court for the reviewing the facts of the charge, as well, to tender all the exhibits in the matter, from the Bar.
Upon reviewing the facts of the charge and tendering of the exhibits, which were admitted by the court, the prosecutor urged the court to convict and sentence him in accordance to the section of the law he was charged with.
But his lawyer, Dennis W., in his allucutor, pleaded with the court to tamper justice with mercy in sentencing his client.
The lawyer, while citing plethoras of authorities, urged the judge to use his discretion and grant his client a non-custodian sentence or an option of fine in lieu of the jail-term.
But Justice Dipeolu, after hearing the prosecutor, that the section of the NDLEA Act which the convict was charged with is life imprisonment, sentenced him 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.”
