The Federal High Court in Lagos State on Wednesday sentenced a Canadian woman, Adrienne Munju, to 11 years of imprisonment or a fine of N100 million for importing hard drugs into Nigeria.
She was convicted on two counts before Justice Dehinde Dipeolu of the Federal High Court.
On October 3, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) arrested Munju with Canadian Loud, also known as synthetic cannabis, weighing 35.20 kg during the inspection of passengers from a KLM flight at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA).
Munju alleged that she was lured into trafficking the illicit consignment through an online platform by a recruiting firm, offering her $10,000 for the job.
Due to financial struggles in paying for her ongoing master’s degree in Canada, Munju said she accepted the offer on this basis.
She pleaded guilty to the charges and was convicted on two counts before Justice Dipeolu.
The prosecuting counsel highlighted her actions, which violated NDLEA regulations, and urged the court to convict Munju based on the evidence presented.
Additionally, Angela Mba, an Assistant Superintendent of Narcotics, provided the court with evidence marked as exhibits 1 to 13.
After reviewing the case, Justice Dipeolu sentenced Munju to six years of imprisonment on count one and five years on count two.
Furthermore, Justice Dipeolu offered Munju the option of paying a N100 million fine.
Appreciating the efforts of his team and the judiciary, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig.
Gen. Mohamed Marwa, said this conviction would serve as a stern warning to foreigners and others intending to traffic drugs into Nigeria.
By Helen Okechukwu
