Drug trafficker bags 25 years jail term

Carr Bismark, also known as Ogbonna Charles Freeman, has been sentenced to 25 years in prison by a Federal High Court in Lagos for attempting to unlawfully export 889 grams of cocaine. Justice Deinde Isaac Dipeolu handed down the sentence after Bismark pleaded guilty to the charge brought against him by the National Drug Law […]

Drug trafficker bags 25 years jail term

Carr Bismark, also known as Ogbonna Charles Freeman, has been sentenced to 25 years in prison by a Federal High Court in Lagos for attempting to unlawfully export 889 grams of cocaine.

Justice Deinde Isaac Dipeolu handed down the sentence after Bismark pleaded guilty to the charge brought against him by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

According to the prosecutor, Mr Abu Ibrahim, Bismark was apprehended on March 31, 2024, during the outward clearance of a Qatar Airways flight to India via Doha, UAE, at Screening 2 of the New Terminal, Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.

He said the illegal act violated section 20(1)(a) of the NDLEA Act and is punishable under section 20(2)(a), which mandates a minimum of 20 years imprisonment for drug trafficking.

During the proceedings, Bismark admitted to the offence, leading to the prosecution presenting all relevant evidence.

Despite his lawyer, Dennis W., pleading for leniency and citing legal precedents, Justice Dipeolu opted to impose the maximum sentence permissible under the law.