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Nigerian escapes death sentence in Singapore over drugs trafficking

Chibuike Ejike was arrested in Singapore for drugs trafficking eight years ago, but has now been discharged and acquitted.

The Supreme Court of Singapore has acquitted a Nigerian, Adili Chibuike Ejike, of drug trafficking charges after he was initially sentenced to death.

According to a statement by the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ejike was arrested in 2011 for importing nearly 2 kilogrammes of methamphetamine into the country.

Despite a previous death sentence at the lower and appellate courts, the Singaporean Supreme Court discharged and acquitted Ejike on Monday, May 27, 2019 because the prosecution failed to establish that he knew that the drug bundles in his suitcase were in his possession.

The statement read, "During the trial, the prosecutor focused on his knowledge of the substance; while the defence claimed he had no knowledge of the substance, the prosecutor claimed he knew about it hence the landmark judgement that secured the freedom of the Nigerian."

Ejike had denied all charges against him, telling the court that his childhood friend in Nigeria gave him the bag that contained the drugs to be delivered to an unspecified person in Singapore.

"This buttressed the fact that drug peddlers are using unsuspecting innocent Nigerians as conduits to transport their consignments, at the risk of the lives of the possessors of such substances," the ministry said.

The ministry praised the Supreme Court for the favourable judgement and called on relevant stakeholders to step up awareness campaign for Nigerians travelling abroad not to accept to travel with any bag or container that they have not personally packed by themselves.

Two Nigerians also escaped death sentences in Saudi Arabia earlier this month after the Federal Government was able to prove that they knew nothing about the drugs they were caught with.

Zainab Aliyu and Ibrahim Abubakar were both arrested in Saudi Arabia in December 2018 for allegedly travelling with luggage containing unlawful substance while on lesser hajj.

It was later discovered that both were victims of a cartel which specialised in planting illicit drugs in travellers' luggage at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA).

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