South African Woman Jailed 18 months For Drug Trafficking

By Akin Kuponiyi

A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, southwest Nigeria, Wednesday sentenced a 37-year-old South African woman, Mrs. Duru Gcimukwazi Lindiwefa to 18 months imprisonment for attempting to export 5.5 kilogrammes of methamorphine to South Africa.

The convict was arrested on 26 July, 2012 during the outward clearance of a South African airline to Johannesburg.

She pleaded guilty to a count charge.

Her counsel, Eugene Okenyi, in his allocutus urged the court to be lenient with the convict because she is HIV positive, and is married to a Nigerian man  whom she had a son for.  But  the husband is nowhere to be found.

The counsel said she was not aware that the substance she was carrying was a drug, as it was put in her bag by a man who claimed to be a good samaritan who bought her a return ticket to South Africa.

In her judgement, the presiding judge, Justice Benedicta Molokwu, said the convict showed sign of remorse.

She therefore sentenced her to 18 months imprisonment without an option of fine.

Justice Molokwu also ordered that she should be repatriated to South Africa after serving her jail term.