The Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Wednesday convicted and sentenced two men, John Kanu, and Obinna Eze, to four years imprisonment each for conspiracy and unlawful possession of 839.4kg of pangolin scales and 145kg of elephant tusks.
Justice Nicholas Oweibo convicted Kanu and Eze after they pleaded guilty to the charges filed against them by the Federal Operation Unit, Zone A, of the Nigerian Customs Services (NCS), Lagos.
The duo was arraigned alongside one Anthony Onyebuchi and one Monday Nnamanni, in an amended charge marked FHC/L/123c/22.
According to the prosecution, the suspects and others were arrested following a joint wildlife enforcement operation by the NCS and Wildlife Justice Commission (WJC), targeting illegal wildlife traders and traffickers from Africa to Asia.
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All four pleaded not guilty.
But at the resumed hearing of the charge on Monday, Kanu and Eze changed their pleas to “guilty.”
Onyebuchi and Monday maintained their innocence.
The team of prosecution counsel – David Ereh Michael Osong and Abidemi Aluko – while reviewing the case, told the court that the convicts and others at large on February 2, 2022, conspired and warehoused the prohibited items, at Adeba in Ibeju Lekki, Lagos State.
The court heard that the offence contravened Section 516 of the Criminal Code Act, 2004. Section 7(3) of the National Environmental (Protection of Endangered Species in International Trade) Regulations, and was punishable under Section 7(4) of the same Regulations.
It was also punishable under Section 5(1) of the Endangered Species (Control of International Trade and Traffic) (Amendment) Act, 2016
But the convicts’ lawyer, Mr. Chukwu Agwu, made an allucutus praying the court to temper justice with mercy in sentencing the duo on the ground among others that they were first-time offenders without a previous conviction record.
Justice Oweibo sentenced Kanu and Eze to two years each on counts one and two.
The judge pardoned each convict on count three.
He adjourned till September 28, for the trial of the remaining two defendants.