Adrienne Munju, a Canadian woman, has been sentenced to 11 years in prison for importing 35.20 kg of cannabis into Nigeria.
In a significant ruling, the Federal High Court in Lagos has convicted and sentenced 41-year-old Canadian citizen Adrienne Munju to 11 years’ imprisonment for importing 35.20 kilogrammes of cannabis known as “Canadian Loud” into Nigeria.
The sentence was handed down by Justice Dehinde Dipeolu on Wednesday, who also provided an option for a N100 million fine on the two counts brought against her by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
Munju’s conviction followed her guilty plea on the charges. During the proceedings, NDLEA prosecutor Mr. Abu Ibrahim stated that Munju had imported the cannabis without lawful authority.
The incident occurred on October 3, 2024, at the ‘D’ Arrival Hall of Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, where she arrived on a KLM flight.
The charges against Munju were in violation of Section 20(1)(a) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, punishable under Section 20(2)(a) of the same law, which addresses the illegal importation of controlled substances.
Upon her arraignment, Munju admitted to the charges, prompting the prosecution to review the facts of the case. A prosecution witness was called to provide evidence and tender relevant exhibits, leading the prosecutor to request the court to convict Munju based on the presented evidence and her guilty plea.
During the sentencing, Munju’s counsel, Benson Ndakara, alongside his team, appealed for leniency, highlighting her remorse and early guilty plea, which saved the court’s time.
He stressed that Munju had no prior criminal record and vowed to avoid criminal activities in the future. Ndakara also pointed out that she had been deceived into trafficking the drugs and had no support network in Nigeria, as she was abandoned by acquaintances.
Taking into account the defence’s arguments, Justice Dipeolu sentenced Munju to six years’ imprisonment on the first count and five years on the second count, with both sentences running concurrently.
Alternatively, she could opt for a N50 million fine for each count, resulting in a total of N100 million if she chose that route.
The NDLEA arrested Munju after a thorough examination of her three bags revealed 74 parcels of the illicit substance.
She had allegedly been recruited through an online platform to traffic the cannabis for 10,000 Canadian dollars to finance her ongoing Master’s degree in Canada.