OLATUBOSUN SOWEMIMO

He was last March 23 nabbed at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) with 1.336 kilogrammes of cocaine.

Cocaine exportation without lawful authority, Daily Champion gathered, is an offence contrary to section 10 (b) of the NDLEA Act.

When the charge was read to him yesterday, he immediately pleaded guilty.

The NDLEA counsel, Mr Pius Gande, had while reviewing facts on the matter tendered documents to prove his case.

Among documents he submitted included four copies of the certificate of test analysis, four copies of packing substance form; four copies of request for scientific aids; four copies of drugs receipts; four copies of the statement of the accused dated March 23 and 24; one copy of the drug analysis and a Nigerian International passport, bearing the particulars of the accused-A2092055.

He, therefore, urged the court to convict the accused.

But handing down the sentence, Justice Abutu said that the imprisonment term would run from last March 23, the day of his arrest.

However, the accused’s counsel, Mrs Ngozi Ekwensi, had during the allocutus, urged the court to temper justice with mercy positing her client has been remorseful.

She pleaded for forgiveness on his behalf, stating that bad friends lured him into the infamous act.

Apart from that, she said since James’ arrest, he has been in incarceration even as he has aged parents in the village.

She added that her client is asthmatic and diabetic as he has been to NDLEA’s clinic several times.