A Nigerian national, Alabi Tunde Lateef, has been sentenced to eight years in prison by the Milimani Law Courts in Kenya for trafficking narcotics worth KSh 890,800 (approximately N10.5 million). The court found Lateef guilty of two counts of drug trafficking, which occurred on September 11, 2017, in Nairobi’s Central Business District and Kasarani’s Mwiki area.
According to the court, Lateef was found trafficking 75.4 grams of cocaine valued at KSh 377,000 in the General Post Office area and storing 102.7 grams of cocaine worth KSh 513,800 in the Mwiki area. Chief Magistrate Susan Shitubi handed down the sentence, ruling that the prosecution had proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt. The magistrate sentenced Lateef to eight years’ imprisonment for each count, with the terms to run concurrently.
The prosecution team, led by Wanjiru Naomi and Nyakira Kibera from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, presented four witnesses whose testimony was instrumental in securing the conviction. The team’s evidence and witness testimony were crucial in establishing Lateef’s guilt.
This sentence brings to light the serious consequences of drug trafficking, not only in Kenya but also globally. In Nigeria, drug trafficking is punishable by life imprisonment, as stipulated in the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Act. Lateef’s case is not an isolated incident, as other Nigerians have faced similar sentences abroad. Notably, Tonny Ezeh was sentenced to nine years and three months in the UK for exploiting elderly victims as unsuspecting drug mules. Another Nigerian, Segun Ogundipe, received a five-year prison sentence in the UK for raping and sexually assaulting a woman.
