A Federal High Court in Lagos on Tuesday sentenced three foreign nationals to 12 years in prison for unlawful production of methamphetamine, a drug similar to cocaine, heroin and LSD.
The three convicts who are Bolivian nationals are Reuben Tiacono Jorge, Yhugo Chavaez Moreno and Yerko Artunduago Dorado.
The convicts who were arraigned before Justice Oluremi Oguntoyinbo had on November 21, pleaded guilty to two counts charge preferred against them by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
NDLEA’s prosecutor, Abu Ibrahim had reviewed and tendered several evidence which include certificate of test analysis, drug analysis reports, their statements which were written in English and Portuguese that were admitted as exhibits by the court.
The trial judge, Justice Oguntoyinbo had reserved judgment against the Bolivians till Tuesday, following the plea by their lawyer, Chief Benson Ndakara that the court should be lenient in sentencing them due to the period they had spent in detention.
In her judgment, the judge said the jail term prescribed by the NDLEA Act for count one of the charge is life imprisonment without prescribing minimum sentence.
She also stated that the prescribed jail term for the second counts is 25 years without prescribing minimum jail terms.
But the judge however sentenced the three Bolivian Nationals to six years jail term on each count of charge.
According to her, the jailed terms are to run concurrently which would start from February 2, 2012 when they were arrested.