Bolivians jubilate after Lagos court sentenced them to six years in jail for drug offences

A Federal High Court in Lagos on Tuesday sentenced three Bolivians to six years’ imprisonment for dealing in illicit drugs.The convicts are Reuben Jorge, Yhugo Moreno and Yerko Dorado.

They were sentenced by Justice Oluremi Oguntoyinbo, who affirmed their guilty plea to the two counts pressed against them by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.

The convicts had been in detention since February 3, 2013, when they were arrested by operatives of the NDLEA on Daily Times Estate, Satellite Town, Lagos State, the base where they illegally produced Ephedrine and Methamphetamine.

In her judgment on Tuesday, Justice Oguntoyinbo said what the law prescribed was a maximum of 25 years, but that a judge could, based on his discretion, impose a lesser jail term.

She therefore sentenced the convicts to six years on each count. She said the sentence would run concurrently and would start from February 3, 2013, when they were arrested.

Following the judgment, the three convicted foreigners jubilated outside the courtroom where they hugged one another and posed for a snapshot by our correspondent.

The convicted foreigners were first arraigned on March 23, 2013, before Justice Ibrahim Buba of the same court, where they earlier pleaded not guilty to the initial six counts pressed against them by the NDLEA.

Justice Buba admitted them to bail in the sum of N50m each with two sureties in like sum.

In spite of the bail, the foreigners remained in detention as they found it difficult to perfect the bail terms.

Punch