Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday adjourned the judgment of one Oluwaseyi Anifowoshe, an alleged drug trafficker until Jan.27 for judgment.
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News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Anifowoshe was sometime in 2017 arrested at the Nnamdi Azikwe Airport, Abuja by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in possession of 1.9kg of cocaine and 3kg of ephedrine.
She was arrested during an outward clearance of Ethiopia Airlines to Johannesburg, South Africa through Addis Ababa.
Counsel to the defendant, Mr. Elvis Ohiwere said that Anifowoshe was just a victim of circumstance and the case had become a strict liability.
He explained that Anifowoshe was given two boxes with different things in it to deliver to someone in South Africa by her boyfriend, Isaac Agoro.
Ohiwere said that the defendant checked the suitcases but did not know that her boyfriend had hidden such substances in different compartments in the boxes.
Anifowoshe who had pleaded not guilty to the offense since 2017, pleaded guilty on Wednesday after her lawyer disclosed that the defendant had no defense in the matter.
He said that they had prolonged the case all along to see if her boyfriend, Isaac Agoro could be arrested in Lagos as the defendant flew in from Lagos to Abuja to board her flight to South Africa.
He admitted that all efforts to catch Agoro had proved abortive so the defendant had no choice but to face the law because the substances were in her possession.
Prosecution counsel, Mr. Mike Kassa said that he had provided the court with five witnesses and wasn’t pleased with the report form the defense counsel.
“I went all out to call five witnesses in this case and now that it’s time to call Defence they are throwing out the towel,” he said.
Justice Abang told the court registrar to read the amended two charge, dated Jan.11 and filed Jan. 15 to the defendant for the purpose of a fresh plea.
Count one charge was against section 21 (e) of the NDLEA ACT and was punishable under 22 (a) of the same ACT.
Count two was contrary to section 11 (b) and Was punishable under the NDLEA ACT.
Kassa said that in a change of plea by the defendant, he adopted all the exhibits tendered during the trial of the matter and urged to convict the defendant.
Kassa said that 274 subsection of the Administration of Criminal Justice ACT 2015 says that count 1 attracts a minimum of 17years and a maximum of 25years in prison.
“ Count two attracts life imprisonment,” he said.
Justice Abang said that after evidence laid in this matter, five witnesses provided by the prosecution, he would review evidences.
NAN also reports that Anifowoshe weeper all through the proceeding and was instructed by the judge to control herself that it wasn’t judgment yet.
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