Thursday, October 24, 2024 -A 41-year-old Canadian lady, Adrienne Munju, was on Wednesday 23rd October 2024 convicted and sentenced to 11 years imprisonment by a Federal High Court in Lagos for importing 74 parcels of Canadian Loud, a strong strain of synthetic cannabis weighing 35.20 kilograms into Nigeria.
Munju’s conviction followed her arraignment on two counts charge
before Justice Dehinde Dipeolu of a Federal High Court, Lagos by the National
Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, which arrested her at the terminal 1 of the
Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA Ikeja Lagos on Thursday 3rd
October 2024 during the inward clearance of in-bound passengers on KLM flight
at the ‘D’ Arrival Hall of the airport.
In her statement after her arrest, she had claimed she was
recruited to traffic the illicit consignment through an online platform for
10,000 Canadian dollars upon successful delivery in Lagos. She said she took
the offer because she needed the money to pay for her ongoing master’s degree
program in Canada.
Justice Dipeolu convicted and sentenced Muju to the term of
imprisonment after she pleaded guilty to the charge preferred against her by
NDLEA.
Prosecuting Counsel, Barrister Abu Ibrahim, told the court that
the illegal acts of the convict, contravened sections 20(1}(a) and 19 of the
National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act (NDLEA) Cap N30, Laws of the
Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and punishable under Section 20(2)(a) of the same
Act.
Following her guilty plea, the prosecutor called his witness,
Angela Mba, an Assistant Superintendent of Narcotics, who narrated how the
Canadian was arrested with the illicit drugs, after which she tendered some
exhibits, which include: two suitcases that were used in concealing the drugs,
her Canadian passport, confessional statements, laboratory test analysis
reports and samples of the illicit drug. All the tendered exhibits were
admitted as Exhibits 1 to 13.
After the conclusion of the review of the facts of the crime, the
prosecutor urged the court to convict the Canadian as charged based on the
evidence placed before the court, the exhibits tendered and the guilty plea of
the defendant.
As a result, Justice Dipeolu after reviewing the facts of the case
as submitted by Abu Ibrahim convicted the defendant as charged.
After listening to the allocutus by the defendant’s counsel,
Justice Dipeolu sentenced Adrienne Munju to six years imprisonment on count one
and five years on count two.
The judge however gave the convict an option of N50 million fine
on each of the two counts, bringing the total fine to N100 million.
The two counts charge reads: “That you Adrienne Munju, Adult,
Female, a Canadian, on or about the 3rd of October, 2024 during the inward
clearance of in-bound passengers on KLM flight at the 'D' Arrival Hall of the
Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja.
Lagos without lawful authority imported 35.20 kilograms of
Cannabis Sativa, otherwise known as 'Canadian Loud', you thereby committed an
act which is an offence contrary to Section 20(1)(a) and punishable under
Section 20(2)(a) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act (NDLEA) Cap
N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
“That you Adrienne Munju, Adult, Female, a Canadian, on or about the 3rd
of October, 2024 during the inward clearance of in-bound passengers on KLM
flight at the 'D' Arrival Hall of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport,
Ikeja, Lagos without lawful authority knowingly possessed 35.20 kilograms of
Cannabis Sativa otherwise known as 'Canadian Loud', you thereby committed an
act which is an offence contrary to Section 19 of the National Drug Law Enforcement
Agency Act (NDLEA) Cap N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.”
While commending the officers and men of the MMIA Strategic
Command involved in the arrest and prosecution of the case as well as the
judiciary for speedy adjudication, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA,
Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) said the prompt conviction and sentencing of
the convict as well as the stiff penalty will send a strong warning to
foreigners and others who may be contemplating bringing illicit drugs into
Nigeria.
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