In Ikeja Lagos Hard Core Drug Smuggler Godwin Thank-God convicted and Sentenced
By Abdul Rahman Bangura-
NEW AFRICA BUSINESS NEWS (NABN) Freetown, Sierra Leone- Justice Ibrahim Kala of the Federal High Court of Ikoyi Lagos has convicted and sentenced a hard drugs smuggler – Godwin Thank- God, to four years imprisonment over an attempt to smuggle 7.10 kilograms of Codeine and 100 grams of Rohypnol, a psychotropic substance.
The Federal High Court presided over Justice Kala, arrived at the decision after the drug peddler pleaded guilty to the charge of unlawful importation of the banned substances made against him by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). While the arraignment lasted, the counsel for the NDLEA – Abu Ibrahim, highlighted to the judge that he was arrested with the prohibited drugs on January 11th, 2024, at the departure gate of Terminal 2 of Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.
The lawyer had further touched to the court that; the convict was arrested during the outward clearance of passengers of Royal Air Maroc flight to Casablanca… relayed to Justice Kala that the actions of the convict contravened Sections 20 (1)(a) and were punishable under Section 20 (2)(a) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap. N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
Thus, following the guilty plea stance of the convict, the prosecutor, with the court’s permission, gave a second thought to the facts of the charge and delivered some exhibits, which encompassed; the seized prohibited drugs, the convict’s confessional statements, results of scientific test conducted on the drugs and others, which were admitted by the judge. In handing down his judgement, Justice Kala sentenced Thank-God to two years on each of the counts. Justice Kala, Thus, ordered the convict to pay the sum of N500,000,000, in lieu of the jail term.
For New Africa Business News (NABN) Abdul Rahman Bangura Reports, Africa Correspondent