By Kamsi Anayo, Awka
A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has sentenced Nollywood filmmaker, Emeka Mbadiwe, to five years imprisonment for drug trafficking.
Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa handed down the sentence after the filmmaker pleaded guilty to two counts of unlawful importation of the banned substance.
The charges were lodged by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
Abu Ibrahim, the anti-narcotic prosecutor, said Mbadiwe was taken into custody on Dec. 24, 2024, during a routine examination of incoming cargo at the National Handling Company (NAHCO) Import Shed, Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja, Lagos.
The filmmaker’s arrest was linked to cargo with Airway Bill No: 00637337285, which originated from Houston, United States.
Ibrahim added that the convict had enlisted the help of one Uzoekwe Ugochukwu James to import the banned substance.
He said that Mbadiwe’s actions violated Sections 21(1)(e) and are punishable under Section 11(a) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Cap. N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
The court after convicting Mbadiwe allowed the prosecutor to present the case’s facts and tender all exhibits related to the charges, including the bulk of the seized drug, the convict’s confessional statements, and an iPhone Pro Max 12.
The defence lawyer, Dennis Warri, however, pleaded with the court to consider a lighter sentence, arguing that his client’s timely guilty plea indicated remorse and saved the court time.
Warri also pleaded with the court to impose a non-custodial sentence or a fine instead of a prison term on the convict.
Justice Lewis-Allagoa sentenced Mbadiwe to five years in prison but also allowed him to pay a fine of N3 million as an alternative to the jail term after considering the submissions of both parties.
He further ordered the forfeiture of the drug and the iPhone Pro Max 12 to the federal government of Nigeria.
