A Federal High Court in Lagos Thursday sentenced a cocaine importer, Mr. Ejiofor Eliezer, to 10 years imprisonment.

The sentence followed Eliezer’s conviction on one count of unlawful importation of 2.155 kilogrammes of the prohibited drug, filed against him by the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

Justice Rilwan Aikawa, who handed down the judgment, said the jail term would start running from the date Eliezer was re-arrested after jumping bail.

Eliezer’s conviction followed his four-year trial on a charge marked CS/180c/2015, by NDLEA prosecutor, Mrs. Theresa Asuquo.

Asuquo said Eliezer was arrested on March 5, 2015, during an inward clearance of Arik Airline, at the Murtala Muhammad International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, with 2.155 kilogrammes of cocaine without lawful authority.

The offence, Asuquo added, was contrary to and punishable under Section 11(a) of the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), 2004.

Eliezer pleaded not guilty, when he was arraigned in 2015 and was admitted to bail.

But before the conclusion of trial, he became elusive, following which the court revoked his bail and declared him wanted. Eliezer was later rearrested and remanded in Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS) custody.

The charge on which Eliezer was convicted: “That you Ejiofor Eliezer, Male, Adult on or about 5th day of March 2015, during the Inward Clearance of Arik Airline at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court. Imported 2.155 Kilograms of Cocaine without lawful authority and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 11(a) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agencies Act Cap N30, Law of the Federation of Nigeria.” (The Nation)

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