Posted by Reuters on
A 35-year-old man convicted of cocaine smuggling has walked free from a Nigerian court after paying a $300 fine, a law enforcement official said on Wednesday.
A 35-year-old man convicted of cocaine smuggling has walked free from a Nigerian court after paying a $300 fine, a law enforcement official said on Wednesday.
The Federal High Court in Kano sentenced Eugene Eromosele to 15 years in prison on Tuesday, but gave him the option of paying a 40,000 naira fine after convicting him of trying to smuggle 1.3 kg (almost three pounds) of cocaine into Europe, said an official from the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
"The judge has taken his decision. We are not happy with it. The punishment is not enough to serve as a deterrent to others," Kano state NDLEA commander Malami Sokoto told Reuters.
Sentences for drug offenders in Nigeria, Africa's most populous country and the continent's major drug transit hub, normally range from five to 25 years, and convicts are rarely given the option of a fine.
Eromosele was arrested at Kano international airport on his way to Europe in July after swallowing 80 cellophane wrappers of cocaine which he excreted during two days in detention, drug officers said.
Last year, a French grandmother was sentenced to two years in jail for smuggling 4 kg of cocaine.
© 2005 Reuters