Nigeria: Four foreigners imprisoned for wildlife life trafficking
By Ahmad Hadizat Omayoza, Mamos Nigeria
The Government High Court in Lagos on Wednesday indicted and condemned four foreigners to six years detainment for wildlife trafficking.
The convicts are three Vietnamese – Phan Chi, Phan Quan, and Duong Thang, and a Guinean, Mory Berrette.
Equity Yelim Bogoro sentenced them after they conceded to a changed four-count after they entered a supplication deal concurrence with the Nigerian Traditions Administration.
The court condemned every one of them to three years detainment on the primary count or the amount of N500,000 each as fine in lieu of detainment.
The adjudicator said, “You are condemned to two years detainment on the subsequent count, or in lieu of detainment pay the amount of N2m each as a fine.
“The convicts will each pay a fine in the amount of N2m each for the third count, being first-time wrongdoers.
“The convicts shall each be sentenced to one year in prison on the fourth count or pay the sum of N200,000 each as a fine in lieu of imprisonment.”
As per the particulars of the supplication deal bargain, the convicts “will help with giving valuable data to the capture of different people at large who are associated with the untamed life dealing exchange inside and outside Nigeria.
“The convicts also agreed to testify for the prosecution when called upon, in the event that the absconding suspects involved in the trace of illegal wildlife trafficking within and outside of Nigeria are arrested now or in the future.”
The four convicts had been being investigated starting around 2022, close by two Nigerians, Babangida Mahmoud and Olamilekan Adenekan, and a Guinean, Fofou Evariste.
The seven respondents were summoned by the NCS on July 22, 2022, for supposed unlawful belonging, managing in, collecting, putting away, sneaking, and exchanging pangolin scale and elephant ivory.
They were captured because of joint natural life authorization activities by the NCS and the Natural life Equity Commission, focusing on unlawful untamed life merchants and dealers from Africa to Asia.
The arraignment informed the court that every one of the litigants committed the offenses somewhere in the range of 2018 and 2022, in Lagos.
