A former professional footballer, Okafor Emmanuel Junior, has been sentenced to a five-year imprisonment for cocaine trafficking by Justice Nicholas Oweibo of the Federal High Court in Lagos.
Convicted after pleading guilty to the charge brought against him by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Emmanuel was arrested with 1.4 kilograms of cocaine on his arrival from Brazil on September 26, 2022, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.
The prosecutor, Augustine Nwagu, stated that the offense committed by the convict contravened section 11(a) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and is punishable under the same Act.
Upon his guilty plea, the prosecutor urged the court to sentence him in accordance with the section of the law he was charged with.
In defense, Dennis Warri, his lawyer, pleaded for leniency, emphasizing the convict’s remorse since his arrest and his commitment to abstain from criminal activities. He specifically requested the consideration of a fine in lieu of a custodial sentence.
In his verdict, Justice Oweibo sentenced the convict to five years in prison, with the option of a N1 million fine in place of the jail term.
