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A high federal court of Lagos chaired by judge Daniel Osiagor condemned 10 Thai sailors and their ship named MV Chayanee Naree for the 32.9 kilograms of cocaine from Brazil in Nigeria through the Maritime Port APAPA, Lagos.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), after more than three years of judicial proceedings, has successfully reached the sentence of the victims together with their ship.
The condemned sailors, all the citizens of Thailand are Ginekhan Gineakhan; Boonlert Hansoongnn; Jakkarin Booncharoen; Thamamarong Pt-Tlek; Worrapat Paopinte; Marut Kantaprom; Werapat Sombooning; Urkit Amsri; Panudet Jaisuk and Amrat Thawom.
They were enrolled for the first time in front of the court together with nine Nigerian suspicions from Ndlea in February 2022 for crimes on the border with conspiracy and illegal transport of the illegal drug expedition from Brazil to Nigeria.
The ship, the condemned sailors and the nine Nigerians were arrested on October 13, 2021, in the port of Apapa in Lagos.
The Nigerian suspicions are: Samuel Messiah; Ishaya Maisamari; Ilesanmi Ayo Abbey; Osabeye Stephen; Gbenga Ogunfadeke; Kayode Buleeri; Rilwan Omotosho Liasu; Satti on Alani and Jamiu Adwale Yusuf.
They were all subsequently accused in court for the illegal acts that the public prosecutors of Ndlea supported sections 11 (A), 11 (b) and 14 ((B) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Act n30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and punishable pursuant to the same law.
The condemned sailors had initially presented a submission in any case that had been rejected following observations from the accusation according to which a first Facie case had been established against the ship and its crew members. As a result, the trial judge ordered the condemned Thai sailors and others to open their defense with the accusations against them.
Following the judgment of the Court, the condemned sailors opted for a plea bargain of agreement with the NDLEA and, consequently, the Osiagor judge issued his sentence yesterday at the resumption of the matter.
Among the other sanctions, the judge sentenced the MV Chayanee Naree ship for illegal transport of 32.9 kilograms of cocaine in Nigeria and ordered a fine of $ 4 million or its equivalent Naira.
The 2nd – 11th defendant was sentenced pursuant to section 25 of the Ndlea law for allowing the use of the ship for illegal transport of 32.9 kilograms of cocaine, while the 2nd, 3rd and 4th defendants were ordered to pay n100,000 each as punishment for the offense and in addition restitution in the sum of $ 50,000 each or its equivalent to Nara in Nara.
The 5th – 11th defendants must pay n100,000 each and the return to the sum of $ 30,000, bringing the total amount payable to $ 4,360,000
Judge Osiagor later postponed the trial of the nine Nigerian suspicions to June 25th.
While the accusation was led by the director of the agency for the accusation and the legal services, DCGNSA ASUQUA, supported by A. Adebayo and Paul Awogbuyi, the defense team was led by the trio of the lords Babajide Koku, Femi Atayebui and Tunde Adejuyigbe, all the senior foods of Nigeria (San).
In his reaction, the President/CEO of Ndlea, Brig Gen. Buba Marwa (RTD) said that the court sentence was a strong message for the international drug cartel and their local collaborators that Nigeria will never be a safe hub for illegal drug trafficking.
He praised the Team of the Ndlea accusation and the Officers of the APAPA strategic command involved in the arrest, kidnapping and investigation on the expedition for their diligence and resilience in following the case to a logical conclusion. He accused them of not giving way to pursue the other part of the case still pending.
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