A Federal High Court in Lagos has convicted and sentenced 41-year-old Canadian woman, Adrienne Munju, to 11 years in prison for importing 35.20 kilograms of cannabis into Nigeria.
Munju was arrested on October 3, 2024, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos after operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) found 74 parcels of cannabis hidden in her bags during the inward clearance of passengers on a KLM airline flight from Canada.
According to the NDLEA prosecutor, Abu Ibrahim, Munju imported the cannabis without lawful authority, contravening Section 20(1), (a) and punishable under Section 20(2) (a) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
Justice Dehinde Dipeolu handed down the verdict, giving Munju the option to pay a N100 million fine instead of serving the prison sentence.
The judge sentenced Munju to six years imprisonment on count one and five years on count two, with both sentences running concurrently.
Munju’s lawyer, Benson Ndakara, pleaded for leniency, stating: “We plead for leniency on behalf of the convict, my Lord. The convict pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity by not wasting the precious time of the court and has been very remorseful.
“The convict has vowed never to toe the path of criminality again and to be more careful in the future if given a second chance.
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“The convict was deceived into taking the high risk and urged the court to be lenient in sentencing her.”
During her arrest, Munju claimed she was recruited online to traffic the cannabis in exchange for 10,000 Canadian dollars to fund her master’s degree program in Canada.
The NDLEA had earlier stated that Munju was arrested during the inward clearance of passengers on a KLM airline flight from Canada at Terminal 1 of the Lagos airport.
Upon search, 74 parcels of the illicit substance weighing 35.20 kilogrammes were found stuffed in two of her three bags.
In her statement, she claimed she was recruited to traffic the consignment through an online platform for 10,000 Canadian dollars upon successful delivery in Lagos.
She said she took the offer because she needed the money to pay for her ongoing Master’s degree programme in Canada.
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
