A Federal High Court in Lagos has convicted and sentenced an Italy-based Nigerian, Philip Tunde, to 15 years in prison with the option of a N50 million fine after he pled guilty to attempting to export 4.8 kilograms of cocaine.
Presiding Judge Ibrahim Ahmad Kala delivered the judgment following Tunde’s guilty plea to a one-count charge filed by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
NDLEA prosecutor Arit Okon informed the court that Tunde was intercepted on Sept. 27, 2026, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos during the outward clearance of passengers on a Royal Air Maroc flight bound for Milan, Italy, via Casablanca.
Remorse and Sentencing
During the trial, NDLEA exhibit officer Kenneth Babajiya presented evidence including test analysis certificates, drug seizure receipts, the defendant’s extrajudicial statement, an international passport, boarding passes, and an iPhone 17. The defense counsel, Chief Lilian Omotunde, raised no objections to the evidence.
In her plea for leniency (allocutus), Omotunde urged the court to temper justice with mercy, noting that Tunde was a first-time offender, a parent, and had demonstrated remorse by pleading guilty promptly. Prosecuting counsel confirmed Tunde had no prior criminal record.
”I have taken into account the allocutus made out on behalf of the convict and upon which I hereby sentence you Philip Tunde to the payment of fine in the sum of N50 million or in default to imprisonment for a term of 15 years commencing from today,” Justice Kala ruled.
The judge also ordered the forfeiture of the convict’s international passport and mobile device to the Federal Government, directing that the seized narcotics be destroyed upon the expiration of any appeal window.
