A Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos on Wednesday sentenced a Brazil-based, Nigerian footballer, Umeh Henry, to two years imprisonment for drug related offence.
Umeh was arrested by the National Drugs Law and Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on October 6, 2014, during an inward clearance of Emirate Airlines from Brazil via Dubai, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, with 15 grams of cocaine.
He pleaded guilty, last Thursday, to the one-count charge preferred against him by the anti-drugs agency.
NDLEA prosecutor, Mr. Vembe Emmanuel, had urged the court to convict the accused as charged, in consonance with section 218 and 285 of the Criminal Procedure Acts (CPA).
However, the convict’s counsel, Chief Benson Ndakara, pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy in sentencing his client.
Ndakara told the court that the convict was a Nigeria professional footballer in Brazil, and that the drug he was caught with was for personal use not for commercial purpose.
He also told the court that the convict was introduced into drug usage by his friends.
The convict, who corroborated his counsel’s plea for mercy, said he used drugs, because of numerous problem he had. And that the quantity he was caught with, while coming to the country, was meant for his personally use.
Justice Mohammed Idris, however, said he was happy that the convict told the court the truth and counselled him of the
effect of drug usage no matter the problem he may have. “I
like it that you have said the truth and God will forgive you. But don’t take drug anymore, any relieve it gives you is temporary...Culled from Daily Times
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