Tochukwu When He Was Arrested
An Oman based Nigerian, Ugwu Peter Tochukwu has been sentenced to a total of 27 years imprisonment, by a Lagos Federal High Court, for trafficking 7.50 Kilogrames of Indian hemp, money laundering and other drug related offender.
The 29 years old convict, was given the jail-term by Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa, on Thursday, after he pleaded guilty to a nine count-charge of the offences made against him by the anti-narcotic agency, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
The convict was first arraigned on December 5, 2023, on a five count-charge of conspiracy, unlawful possession and unlawful export of the prohibited ‘weed’.
He had denied and pleaded not guilty to the five count charges.
The convict however, changed his not guilty plea, when he was rearraigned on January 19, 2024, and pleaded guilty to all the five count charges. The the court adjourned for review of facts of the case.
On June 5, 2024, when the matter came up for the review of facts of the matter, the prosecutor told the court that there is a new development, saying that there was an amended charge against the convict, and urged the court for reading of the amended charge for the convict to take his plea.
Counsel to the convict, Dennis Warri, vehemently objected to the reading of the amended charge. But his objection was turned down by the judge, who ordered that the amended charge be read to the convict.
Upon the reading of the nine counts amended charge, of conspiracy, unlawful export, illegal dealing in the banned substance, non-disclosure of assets, failure to fill assets form and money laundering.
The convict was said to have committed the offences on September 12, 2023, with one Ifeanyi, who resides in Muscat, Oman, whom he refused giving full names.
He was also said to have withdrew monies through POS from his accounts domiciled in Access Bank and GTB Plc, while in the NDLEA’s detention facility
The convict’s acts, according to the prosecutor, contravened sections 11(b); 11(c); 14(b) 35(3)(c) of the NDLEA Act Cap. N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
And sections 18(3) and 18(2)(a) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022.
The convict pleaded guilty to all the nine counts. The matter was adjourned to June 6, 2024, for review of the amended charge.
On June 6, the prosecutor, in proving the case, especially, the money laundering charges, called lone witness, Mrs. Angela Mba, who told the court how the convict was arrested with the prohibited ‘goods’, which he concealed in a black nylon bag containing crayfish and bitter leaves, at the Murtala Muhammad International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.
The witness also told the court how the convict, through his closed friend, withdrew about N2.5 million, from his account, while he was in detention through POS.
The witness particularly told the court how the convict told her during interrogation that he gave his credit card to his trusted friend and authorized to withdraw the money for him.
The witness after her testimony also tendered 18 exhibits, which includes: the bulk of exhibit, his international passport, airline ticket, his confessional statements; Certified True Copies (CTC) of his statement of accounts from Access and GTB banks, all these were admitted by the court.
Upon conclusion of the witness evidence, the prosecutor urged the court to proceed and convict the defendant based on his plea to the amended nine counts charge and the evidence of the witness and exhibits tendered by the prosecution.
But lawyer to the convict, Barrister Dennis Warri, in his allucutor pleaded with the court to tamper justice with mercy in sentencing his client, saying that he was a first time convict who did not waste the time of the court in pleading guilty to the charges.
The prosecutor however objected to the counsel’s plea for leniency, saying that the convict’s guilty plea was after thought.
Justice Lewis-Allagoa in his judgment after listening to the parties, sentenced the convict to three years in each of the nine counts.
The judge however ordered that that the jail-term shall run concurrently, while also order the convict to pay the sum of N2 million adding that the convict’s international passport pe forfeited to the federal government of Nigeria.The court also ordered a destruction of the narcotics recovered from the convict, by the NDLEA.
…………
For Advertisement, Event Coverage, Public Relations, Story/Article Publication, and other Media Services, kindly send an email to: thelegendnews25@gmail.com. To stay updated with the latest news, health updates, happenings,Sports and interesting stories, visit thelegendnewsng.com . THE OBINJA MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS (Publisher of TheLegendNews/THELEGENDTV)
