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High Court Judge, Hon. Justice Mark Ngegba, has sentenced Nigerian national Iwuchukwu Ebere Christian to 30 years’ imprisonment after he was found guilty of unlawful possession of 900 grams of cocaine, contrary to Section 8(a) of the National Drugs Control Act, 2008.
The accused, who initially pleaded not guilty, was arraigned before the High Court in Freetown where the matter proceeded to full trial.
According to the prosecution, Christian was arrested on 25th June 2025 at Lungi, in the North-West Region of Sierra Leone, with 46 pellets of a white substance believed to be cocaine. He had no lawful authority to possess the drugs.
Prosecution witness ASP Joseph Stevens, a specialist in drug and chemical analysis attached to the Transnational Organized Crime Unit (TOCU), told the court that on 30th June 2025 he received a request to analyse the seized pellets. After conducting a laboratory test, the results confirmed that the substance was indeed cocaine, weighing a total of 900 grams.
At the close of the prosecution’s case, the defendant relied solely on his earlier statement to the police and failed to produce any evidence to justify his possession of the prohibited substance.
In his judgment, Justice Ngegba emphasized that the prosecution successfully proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, noting that the accused himself admitted to possessing the 46 pellets of cocaine but could not demonstrate any legal authority to do so.
During his allocutus, Christian pleaded for leniency, explaining that he transported the drugs from Nigeria by road and intended to transit them through Sierra Leone to Ecuador. He claimed he had been promised USD $5,000 upon successful delivery.
Defense counsel C. I. Williams urged the court to consider his client’s status as a foreign national, a father, and the primary caregiver for his family. However, State Prosecutor A. Jalloh argued that the severity of the crime and the potential damage to Sierra Leone’s international reputation warranted a firm sentence.
Delivering the final ruling, Justice Ngegba stated:
“I hold that the prosecution has provided sufficient evidence to warrant a guilty verdict against the defendant. Hence, the defendant is therefore found guilty as charged and is accordingly sentenced to thirty (30) years imprisonment.”
The judgment reinforces Sierra Leone’s commitment to combating drug trafficking and transnational organized crime within its borders.
