A Federal High Court in Lagos has sentenced a businessman, Uche Onyekwere, to 15 years in prison for trafficking 1.50 kilograms of cocaine into Nigeria from Brazil.
The trial judge, Justice Alexander Owoeye, handed down the sentence after the defendant pleaded guilty to a four-count charge filed by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.
According to the prosecution, led by Arrit Okon, the offence was committed on January 29, 2026, when the Brazil-based businessman arrived Nigeria with the illicit drug.
Okon told the court that the cocaine was discovered during passenger screening at Murtala Muhammed International Airport’s Terminal 1 in Lagos, where the defendant was arrested.
He explained that Onyekwere travelled on a South African Airways flight from São Paulo, Brazil, with a stopover in Johannesburg, South Africa, before landing in Nigeria.
“The drug was detected during a routine inspection by NDLEA officers,” the prosecutor said.
He further noted that the offence contravened Section 11(a) of the NDLEA Act, Cap. N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
Onyekwere pleaded guilty to the charge marked FHC/L/199 c/2026, prompting the prosecution to tender key evidence before the court, including the seized cocaine, his confessional statement, passport, and other exhibits.
The prosecutor subsequently urged the court to convict and sentence the defendant in line with the evidence and Section 247(2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015.
In his plea for leniency, defence counsel, Chief Benson Ndakara, described the convict as a first-time offender who had shown remorse by admitting guilt early in the trial.
After reviewing the facts and applicable laws, Justice Owoeye sentenced Onyekwere to 15 years imprisonment, with an option of a N2 million fine in lieu of the custodial sentence.
