Court jails Italy-bound man over Tramadol smuggling
A Federal High Court, Lagos, has convicted and sentenced a man, Iyare Johnbull, to five years imprisonment, for smuggling prohibited analgesic, tramadol, to Rome, Italy. Johnbull was arrested with the
A Federal High Court, Lagos, has convicted and sentenced a man, Iyare Johnbull, to five years imprisonment, for smuggling prohibited analgesic, tramadol, to Rome, Italy.
Johnbull was arrested with the drug weighing 1.4 Kilogrames on March 9, 2026, during the outward clearance of passengers aboard Turkish Airlines flight TK 0626 from Lagos to Rome via Istanbul, Turkey, at the screening point of Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja-Lagos, by the operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
Specifically, he was arrested with 500 grams of 225mg and 900 grams of 200mg of the prohibited drugs.
Following his arrest, he was arraigned before Justice Musa Kakaki on two counts of illegal export of the banned drugs.
The illegal acts, the prosecutor, Commander of Narcotics (CN) Abu Ibrahim, told the court, were contrary to 11(b) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap. N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
The convicted traveller admitted committing the offence and pleaded guilty to both counts.
Upon the guilty plea of the convict, Abu, through a witness, Moses Dogo Hyelda, tendered the seized drug, a confessional statement, his travelling documents, and other items, which were admitted by the court.
He therefore urged the court to convict and sentence the defendant in accordance with sections 274(2) and 356(2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015, as well as his confessional statement and the exhibit tendered.
However, defence counsel, Benson Ndakara, pleaded with the court to be lenient and merciful with his client, stating that he was a first-time offender and did not want to waste the court's time.
He prayed that the court not award the maximum punishment but instead give his client a non-custodial sentence.
Justice Kakaki, after confirming from the prosecutor that the convict had no prior convictions, sentenced him to five years' imprisonment.
In acceding to the lawyer’s non-custodian request, the judge ordered the convict to pay a total of N5 million in lieu of the jail term.
Charges against the convicted traveller read, “That you lyare Johnbull Male, Adult on or about the 9” March 2026 during the outward clearance of passengers aboard Turkish Airlines flight TK 0626 from Lagos to Rome via Istanbul, Turkey at the screening 2 point of Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Ikeja-Lagos without lawful authority exported 500grams of Tramadol 225mg, a Narcotic Analgesic, similar to Cocaine, Heroin, LSD and you thereby committed an act which is an offence contrary to and punishable under section 11 (b) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap. N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
“That you lyare Johnbull Male, Adult on or about the 9′” March 2026 during the outward clearance of passengers aboard Turkish Airlines flight TK 0626 from Lagos to Rome via Istanbul, Turkey at the screening 2 point of Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Ikeja-Lagos without lawful authority exported 900grams of Tramadol 200mg, a Narcotic Analgesic, similar to Cocaine, Heroin, LSD and you thereby committed an act which is an offence contrary to and punishable under section 11 (b) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap. N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.”
