Justice Jude Dagat of the Federal High Court, Lagos on Wednesday sentenced a trader, Emmanuel Nzubeka, to 10 years in a correctional centre for drug trafficking.
The convict was arraigned by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on a one-count of attempting to export 1050kg of Metaphetamine, a drug restricted by law.
He was arraigned in 2015 before Justice Dagat and he had pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Midway into the trial, Justice Dagat was transferred out of the Lagos.
The judge, however, continued the trial using a fiat known as judicial authorisation.
The Prosecutor, Mr. Austin Nwagwu, called a total of seven witnesses who were all NDLEA officers, including exhibit keepers, investigating officers, as well as forensic analysts.
The prosecution also tendered several pieces of evidence before the court such as the statement of the convict, scientific aid form, the forensic analysis, as well as the bulk exhibit, which were admitted and marked as exhibit.
After the close of the prosecution’s case, Nwagwu, in his final address, urged the court to convict and sentence the defendant.
On its part, the defence called two witnesses.
In his verdict on Wednesday, Dagat found the defendant guilty of the charge, as preferred.
The court accordingly sentenced him to a term of 10 years in a correctional centre, with effect from the date of the judgment.
According to the charge, the convict committed the offence on June 4, 2015 at the SAHCOL Export Shed at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja.
The drugs, which weighed 1,050kg, were recovered from him at the export shed.
The prosecution said that the offence contravened the provisions of Sections 11(b) of the NDLEA Act, Cap N30 Laws of the Federation 2004. (NAN)
