By: Audrey Raymonda John
Honourable Justice Mark Ngegba J has sentenced Nigerian national Iwuchukwu Ebere Christian to thirty (30) years imprisonment following his conviction for unlawful possession of 900 grams of cocaine, contrary to Section 8(a) of the National Drugs Control Act of 2008 (Act No. 10 of 2008).
Christian was arraigned before the court and pleaded not guilty, prompting the case to proceed to trial. The State alleged that on 25th June 2025, at Lungi in Sierra Leone’s North-West Region, the accused was found in possession of 900 grams of cocaine without lawful authority.
Prosecution witness ASP Joseph Stevens, attached to the Transnational Organized Crime Unit (TOCU), testified that he specialized in analyzing drugs and chemical substances. He explained that on 30th June 2025, he received a laboratory request from Detective Inspector Steven Alpha Turay to analyze 46 pellets of a white powdered substance suspected to be cocaine. ASP Stevens confirmed that tests revealed the substance was indeed cocaine, weighing 900 grams. At the close of the prosecution’s case, the defendant relied on his police statement.
In his ruling, Justice Ngegba emphasized that the prosecution had the responsibility to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt. He noted that the accused admitted possession of 46 pellets of cocaine but failed to demonstrate any lawful authority to possess the prohibited substance.
Based on the totality of evidence, Justice Ngegba declared the defendant guilty of the offence charged.
During his allocutus, the convict pleaded for leniency, explaining that the drugs were intended for transit. He revealed that he had transported the cocaine from Nigeria by road to Sierra Leone, intending to move it onward to Ecuador.
“My Lord, I was offered five thousand United States dollars if the transit had been successful,” he confessed.
Defence lawyer C. I. Williams pleaded for mercy, noting that the convict is a foreign national, a father, and principal caregiver. Representing the State, Lawyer A. Jalloh urged the court to consider the gravity of the crime, stressing that such acts tarnish Sierra Leone’s reputation internationally.
Delivering his judgment, Justice Ngegba stated: “I hold that the Prosecution has provided sufficient evidence to warrant a guilty verdict against the Defendant. Hence, the defendant is found guilty as charged and is sentenced to thirty (30) years imprisonment.”