For unlawfully exporting 800 grams of Tramadol, Omoruyi Terry, a Nigerian cross-border drug trafficker has been sentenced to two years imprisonment without option of fine.
Delivering the judgement, Justice Ayokunle Faji of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, sentenced him after he pleaded guilty to a one-count charge brought against him by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA.
According to the NDLEA prosecutor, Mrs. Bibiana Eze, the convict was arrested on March 19, 2025, during the outward clearance of passengers on Qatar Airways flight QR1406 from Lagos to Venice via Doha.
Omoruyi was arrested at the Terminal II Screening Hall of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, by NDLEA agents.
Omoruyi Terry was caught with 800 grams of Tramadol
The agency said he was caught with 800 grams of Tramadol (225mg), a controlled psychotropic substance prohibited for export without lawful authority.
Upon being arraigned two weeks ago, Omoruyi pleaded guilty to the charge.
Subsequently, the defendant was convicted after the review of the case facts, while sentencing was reserved until Monday.
The judge said he took into account the allocutus (plea for mercy) made by the convict’s counsel, Oreofe Ogunleye, who argued that Omoruyi was a first-time offender and had not wasted the court’s time.
However, the judge dismissed the convict’s claim that he was unaware that tramadol was a banned drug.
“I do not believe the story that the convict didn’t know the substance was banned. He has travelled between Nigeria and Italy at least twice a month over the last three years.
“A person with such frequent international travel experience should be well aware of drug control laws,” Justice Faji said.
Justice Faji thereafter sentenced the convict to two years’ imprisonment, effective from the date of his arrest, March 19, 2025.
The charge read: “That you, Omoruyi Terry, Male, Adult, with Nigerian International Passport Number 850277389, on or about the 19th day of March 2025, during the outward clearance of passengers on Qatar Airways Flight No. QR 1406 from Lagos to Venice via Doha, at the Terminal II Screening Hall of Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja Lagos, without lawful authority exported 800 grams of Tramadol (225mg), a psychotropic substance, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 11(b) of the NDLEA Act, CAP N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.”
