Drug baron bags 10 years in prison for smuggling cocaine

Justice Rilwan Aikawa of the Federal High Court in Lagos has sentenced one Ejiofor Eliezer to 10 years’ imprisonment for smuggling 2.155 kilograms of cocaine to Nigeria.

Eliezer was arraigned before the court by the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency on one count of unlawful importation of hard drug.

According to the NDLEA prosecutor, Theresa Asuquo, Eliezer was arrested on March 5, 2015, during an inward clearance of Arik Air at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, with 2.155 kilograms of cocaine.

Asuquo told the court that the offence was contrary to and punishable under Section 11(a) of the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency Act, Cap. N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

During the trial, the NDLEA called witnesses and tendered several exhibits, including the seized drug and the convict’s passport, which were admitted by the court, but before the conclusion of the trial, Eliezer was admitted to bail by the court but became elusive.

He was declared wanted by the court and was later rearrested and remanded in a correctional facility.