Justice Deinde Dipeolu of a Lagos Federal High Court, has convicted and sentenced two tramadol Smugglers, Amen Okoro Godstime and Aburime Hysent for trafficking in 7.1 Kilogrames tramadol, a banned analgesic.
Both Amen and Aburime were convicted and sentenced by the judge after they pleaded guilty to a count each slammed on them by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
The convicts were arraigned today before the court by the NDLEA prosecutor, Barrister Abu Ibrahim, a Commander of Narcotics on the crime.
Arraigning the convicts, the prosecutor told the court that the first convict, Amen Okoro Godstime, was arrested with the 3.30 Kilogrames of the banned drug in June 26, 2025, at the departure Hall of Murtala Muhammad Airport Ikeja-Lagos, while attempting to smuggle the drug to France.
He also told the court that the second convict, Aburime Hysent, was arrested with the 3.80 Kilogrames of the banned drug in June 26, 2025, at the departure Hall of Murtala Muhammad Airport Ikeja-Lagos, while attempting to smuggle the drug to Italy.
He told the court that the illegal acts of the convicts contravened section 11(b) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap. N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
The convicts admitted committing the offence and pleaded guilty to the charge against them.
Following their guilty plea, the prosecutor reviewed the facts of the charge, as we rendered the bulk of the seized drug, their international passport and others as exhibits.
He thereafter urged the court to convict and sentence them according the NDLEA they were charged with.
However, the convicts’ lawyer, Dennis Warri, in his allucutor pleaded with the court to be merciful to his clients.
He told the court that they are first time offenders who did not have any record of previous conviction.
He pleaded with the court to grant them non-custodian sentence in lieu of the jail-term.
In his judgment, Justice Dipeolu after listening to the parties submissions, sentenced the first convict, Amen Okoro Godstime, to one year imprisonment, while he slammed the second Convict with a 15-month imprisonment.
The judge, while given the convicts fines of N1 million and N2 million respectively, also ordered that the convicts’ passports and their four phones be forfeited to the federal government of Nigeria.
Charges against the convicts read: “That you Amen Okoro Godstime, Male, Adult, on or about the 26th June 2025 at the Departure Hall of Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja-Lagos during the outward clearance of passengers aboard Royal Air Maroc flight to France without lawful authority exported 3.30 kilograms of Tramadol 225mg, a Narcotic Analgesic similar to Cocaine, LSD, Heroin and you thereby 11(b) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap. N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
“That you Aburime Hysent, Male, Adult, on or about the 2nd July 2025 at Gate C of the Departure Hall of Terminal 1 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja-Lagos during the outward clearance of passengers aboard Ethiopian Airline flight to Italy via Addis Ababa without lawful authority exported 3. 80 kilograms of Tramadol 225mg, a Narcotic Analgesic similar to Cocaine, LSD, Heroin and you thereby committed an act which is an offence contrary to and punishable under section 11(b) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap. N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.”
