By Uzair Adam Imam
Freeman Charles Ogbonna, a Delhi, India-bound passenger, has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for drug trafficking.
Ogbonna was arrested on Sunday, March 31, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos after ingesting 80 wraps of cocaine.
He was taken into custody by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the screening point of Terminal 2 of the airport.
Preliminary checks revealed that Ogbonna was using a Liberian international passport named Carr Bismark.
However, further investigation revealed his real identity as Freeman Charles Ogbonna. He was subsequently placed under observation in NDLEA custody, where he exhibited discomfort.
Ogbonna eventually vomited and excreted the drugs over four days, passing out a total of 80 wraps of cocaine weighing 889 grams through his mouth and anus.
He claimed that he was recruited into drug trafficking by one of his relatives and was promised N300,000 if he successfully delivered the consignment in India.
The NDLEA arraigned Ogbonna before Justice Dipeolu Deinde Isaac of the Federal High Court in Lagos on a charge of committing an offence contrary to section 20(1)(b) and punishable under section 20(2)(a) of the NDLEA Act Cap N30 LFN 2004.
In his judgement, Justice Dipeolu sentenced Ogbonna to 25 years in prison without an option of a fine.
The Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the MMIA Command and the prosecution team for their diligent case handling.
Marwa stated that the judiciary remains a strong pillar in the effort to curb substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking in Nigeria.
He added that Ogbonna’s conviction would send a strong signal to drug barons and their mules that there would be no hiding place for them.