A Federal High Court in Lagos has convicted and sentenced Edobor Ambrose Ali, an Italy-bound passenger, to a two-year jail term for the unlawful exportation of 7.6 kilograms of tramadol.
The sentence came after Ali pleaded guilty to the charges brought against him by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
Ali, a native of Edo state, was arrested by NDLEA operatives on June 13, 2025, at the Murtala Muhammad International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, while attempting to smuggle the prohibited substance.
He was arraigned before Justice Deinde Dipeolu on a two-count charge of illegal drug exportation.
The counsel for the NDLEA, Abu Ibrahim, detailed the offence to the court, stating that the defendant had concealed the tramadol, in strengths of 220 mg and 225 mg, within an orange-coloured jacket.
Ibrahim noted that the defendant's actions violated Section 11(b) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, CAP N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, and were punishable under the same Act.
Upon the formal reading of the charges, Edobor Ambrose Ali pleaded guilty to both counts, leading the prosecution to proceed with a review of the case.
Ibrahim tendered exhibits as evidence and urged the court to convict and sentence the defendant based on his plea, the submitted evidence, and in accordance with Section 274(2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015.
In a plea for leniency, the defendant's lawyer, Dennis Warri, asked the court to temper justice with mercy.
Warri argued that his client’s guilty plea was a clear sign of remorse and that by not wasting the court’s time, he had shown a willingness to cooperate.
He requested a noncustodial sentence or a fine in place of a prison term for his client.
Before delivering the judgment, Justice Dipeolu confirmed with the prosecutor that the convict had no prior criminal record.
The judge then sentenced Edobor Ambrose Ali to two years on each count, to run concurrently.
In addition to the custodial sentence, Justice Dipeolu imposed a significant fine, ordering the convict to pay an option of N2 million.
Furthermore, the judge ordered the forfeiture of Ali's international passport, numbered A12562143, to the federal government.
The passport is to be sent to the Immigration Services for cancellation, preventing him from future international travel.
The charges read in court detailed the specifics of the crime, highlighting that Ali "without lawful authority, exported 6.50 kilograms of Tramadol (225 mg), concealed in an Orange coloured jacket from Nigeria to Italy via Paris and also exported 1.10 kilograms of Tramadol (200 mg), a psychotropic substance concealed in a Red coloured jacket.
Both actions were cited as offences contrary to and punishable under the NDLEA Act.
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