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DAR ES SALAAM. — The High Court in Tanzania on Saturday sentenced a Nigerian national to life imprisonment after he was found guilty of trafficking illegal drugs.
Joachim Ikechukwi Ike, the 36-year-old Nigerian, was convicted of possessing and trafficking 6,969.38 grammes of heroin valued at $157,000.
According to a charge sheet read in the court, the Nigerian was arrested at the Kilimanjaro International Airport in the country’s northern region of Kilimanjaro on May 11, 2013. In his ruling, High Court Judge Benedict Mingwa said evidence produced by the prosecution team was enough testimony that the Nigerian had indeed committed the offence.
“The court has proved beyond any reasonable doubt that a bag found with the illicit drugs belonged to the defendant,” said the judge.
“According to the prosecution’s testimony the accused possessed two bags and when inspected each bag had six small pillows and that one of the pillows was found with some powders believed to be illicit drugs,” he said.
He said the substances were submitted to the government chief chemist for tests and the tests proved that the substances were illicit drugs known as heroine hydrochloride. The Judge rejected an application by the defending counsel that Ikechukwi Ike should be allowed to go and serve his life jail term in his country of origin. “There is no law in this country which allows a convicted person to go and serve his jail term in his country of origin,” said the Judge. — Xinhua.
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