A Federal High Court in Lagos has sentenced prominent Nollywood filmmaker, Emeka Mbadiwe, to five years imprisonment for drug trafficking.
The conviction follows his guilty plea to charges of unlawfully importing 17.30 kilograms of “Canada Loud,” a potent strain of Cannabis Sativa.
Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa delivered the judgment after Mbadiwe admitted to the two-count charge brought against him by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
According to the NDLEA prosecutor, Abu Ibrahim, Mbadiwe was apprehended on December 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 also claimed that the convict had enlisted the help of one Uzoekwe Ugochukwu James to import the banned substance.
He stated that Emeka’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.
After convicting Mbadiwe, the court 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, 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.
After considering the submissions from both parties, 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.
The judge further ordered the forfeiture of the drug and the iPhone Pro Max 12 to the federal government of Nigeria.
The charges against Emeka stated: “That you, Mbadiwe Emmanuel Emeka, Male, Adult, on or about the 24th of December, 2024, during the examination of incoming cargo with Airway Bill No:00637337285 from Houston, United States, at the National Handling Company (NAHCO) Import Shed at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja-Lagos, procured one Uzoekwe Ugochukwu James to import 17.30 kilograms of Cannabis Sativa, a narcotic drug similar to cocaine, LSD, heroin, and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 21(1)(e) and punishable under section 11(a) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Cap. N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.”