On Wednesday, a South African Woman, Mrs Duru Lindiwef was convicted and sentenced to 18 months imprisonment by a Federal High Court in Lagos for attempting to smuggle out of the country 5.5 kilogrammes of Methamphetamine narcotics to South Africa.

She was arrested at the Murtala Mohammed Airport on June 27, 2012 and was immediately put into detention. Ruling over the case, Justice Benedicta Molokwu stated, “Considering the passionate plea of learned counsel for the convict, and her health challenges, the court is swayed to tamper justice with mercy. The convict is hereby sentenced to 18 months imprisonment, which shall run from the date of apprehension.

Moreso, the convict is ordered to be repatriated back to South Africa at the expiration of her jail terms”. The counsel to Mrs Lindiwef, Mr Eugene Okenyi, mentioned to the court and stated, “I therefore urged the court to be liberal with the sentence of the convict since she was equally remorseful and to enable her pick up the thread of her life again”

During the arraignment, Mr Femi Oloruntoba, the Director of Public Prosecution at the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA told the court that the convict was found out during a thorough search at the South Africa departure by a female clearing officer who found the substance hidden away in a carton of sardine.

According to him, “ the offence contravened section 11 (b) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, Cap N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004″.