Ghanaian Jailed 40 Years For Drug Trafficking in Nigeria

A Ghanaian, Gyan Paul, has been convicted and sentenced to a total of 40 years imprisonment, for trafficking in hard drug by a Federal High Court, Lagos.

Gyan was convicted and sentenced to the jail term by the court presided over by Justice Chuka Austin Obiozor, after pronouncing him guilty of charges of considered and unlawful exportation of 2. 02 kilograms of a proscribed substance, Methamphetamine.

The 40 year-old convicted Ghanaian, was arraigned before Justice Obiozor by the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on the said offences.

The offences, according to the prosecutor, Mrs. Juliana Imaobong Iroabobuchi, are contrary to and punishable under sections 11(d), 11(b) and 14 (b) of the NDLEA Act, Cap. N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

In convicting the Ghanaian, Justice Obiozor held that the prosecution has successfully proved its case against the defendant beyond every reasonable doubt.

Consequently, Justice Obiozor sentenced the Ghanaian to jail terms of 15 years in both count one and three, while sentenced him to five years on count two, making the total jail term 35 years.

Justice Obiozor, while ordering that the jail term shall run concurrently, however, gave option of N250, 000, 00 on count one and three, as he also added that the jail terms shall start counting from Tuesday, when he was convicted and sentenced.

The judge also ordered that the convicted Ghanaian be deported back to Ghana after serving the jail terms and that his traveling passport be forfeited to the Ghanaian government.

The convicted Ghanaian was arrested with the banned substance concealed in tomato tin, packed in ‘Ghana Must Go’ bags, by the operatives of NDLEA on February 25, 2018, at the departure hall of Murtala Muhammed International Airport, during the outward of Ethiopia airline passengers.

He was said to have conspired with another Ghanaian named John, residing in Ghana and another man named John, said to be Nigeria resident.

He pleaded not guilty to the charges when arraigned sometimes in 2018 and was admitted to bail.

During the trial of the charged, the prosecution called its witnesses and tendered some exhibits which includes the convict’s international passport, bulk of the banned substance, report of the forensic analysis and others.