Adakole Sunday Ogwuche, a cargo manager with Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc (NAHCO), has been convicted and sentenced to three years imprisonment for stealing and trafficking in 25 kilograms of Ephedrine Hydrochloride, a prohibited substance similar to Cocaine and heroin.
Ogwuche was convicted and sentenced by Justice Musa Kakaki of a Federal High Court Lagos, today, while delivering judgment in a charge marked FHC/L/784c/2025, filed against him by the operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
The prosecutor, Barrister Abu Ibrahim, during the arrraignment of NAHCO’s Cargo Manager, had informed the court that the convict committed the offences on April 28, 2025 at NAHCO Import Shed, a Customs Area/Port of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Ikeja-Lagos.
He also informed the court that the convict unlawfully possessed the prohibited drug from NAHCO’s warehouse, which was imported by a pharmaceutical company, Vitabiotics Nigeria Limited.
During the NAHCO’s Cargo Manager’s arrraignment, he admitted committed the offences and pleaded guilty to the two counts charge made against him.
The convict, while admitted stolen the prohibited drug from NAHCO’s warehouse, equally admitted selling same for N15 million.
NDLEA’s Intel revealed that he kept the proceeds of the drug, N15 million in his Opay Account Number: 7063622867, and later moved same to his Stanbic-IBTC Bank Plc Account No: 1023413552, for investment on ‘Money Market Fund’, an expected maturity date of 30 days.
Following his guilty plea to the charges, evidence by the Investigator and Exhibits tendered, the urged the court to convict and sentence him as charged.
The prosecutor also urged the make an order of forfeiture of the sum of N15 million, which was proceeds of illicit acts to the federal government of Nigeria.
But the convict’s lawyer, I. C. Effiong, in his allucutor, while citing plethoras of legal authorites, pleaded with the court to tamper justice with mercy in sentencing his client.
Giving judgment on the charge, Justice Kakaki, sentenced the NAHCO’s Cargo Manager to three and two years in both counts one and two.
The judge while ordered that the jail-term should run concurrently, ordered the forfeiture of the sum of N13 million found in the convict’s bank account to the federal government of Nigeria.
The judge also ordered the convict to make restitution of N2 million being the balance for the N15 million, and pay same to the federal government of Nigeria.
Charges Against The Convict Read: “that you Adakole Sunday Ogwuche, Male, Adult on or about the 28th April 2025 at NAHCO Import Shed, a Customs Area/Port of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Ikeja-Lagos without lawful authority knowing possessed 25 kilograms of Ephedrine Hydrochloride, a prohibited substance in Table 1 of the Second Schedule of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap, N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and you thereby committed an act which is an offence contrary to and punishable under section 19 of the said Act.
“That you Adakole Sunday Ogwuche, Male, Adult on or about the 28th April 2025 at NAHCO Import Shed, a Customs Area/Port of the Murtala Muhammed international Airport Ikeja-Lagos without lawful authority dealt in 25 kilograms of Ephedrine Hydrochloride, a prohibited substance in Table 1 of the Second Schedule of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap, N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and you thereby committed an act which is an offence contrary to and punishable under section 11 (c) of the said Act.”
