On Tuesday, the Federal High Court located in Lagos found both Fofou Dadjo Evariste, a Cameroonian, and Babangida Mahmoud, a Nigerian, guilty of possessing pangolin scales illegally and sentenced them to two years in prison.
Following their guilty plea to the amended charge brought against them by the Nigerian Customs Service, Justice Yelim Bogoro punished the convicted parties.
The five counts against the convicts, which included conspiracy, unlawful possession, dealing, storing pangolin scales, and perverting the course of justice, were filed alongside one Olamilekan Adenekan.
While the inmates were charged with conspiracy and perverting the course of justice, Adenekan was charged with conspiracy, unlawful possession, trade in pangolin scales, and unlawful assembly.
Specifically, Mahmoud faced charges of conspiracy, and the Cameroonian was accused of subverting the legal process by capturing images of Nigeria Customs Service undercover agents looking for Pangolin scales that were stored in his warehouse.
The prosecution, represented by Mr. Michael Osong, informed the court that the offenses were committed by Adenekan and the convicts at the No. 12 Ijora Causeway in the Lagos State between 2018 and 2022.
Sections 516, 3, 4, 20, 11 (b), and 166 of the Criminal Code Act, Cap. C38, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 were violated, according to Osong.
When the prisoners were initially arraigned before the court earlier this year, they entered a not guilty plea.
On Tuesday, the trial was reopened, and the guilty informed the judge that they intended to enter a new plea. The judge accepted their choice.
The court directed that the charge be read to them again after they submitted their request to enter a new plea.
Following their plea, the prosecutor asked the judge to sentence them in accordance with the NCS Act sections for which they were accused.
However, their attorneys, through their allucutor, begged the court to be forgiving in their sentencing because they had grown regretful of their deed and promised never to do another crime.
In her ruling, Judge Bogoro gave each of the two guilty parties a one-year term.
The judge however ordered the first defendant, Mahmoud, to pay the sum of N100,000, while the second convict, the Cameroonian, Evariste, was ordered to pay the sum of N300,000, as a fine alternative to the sentencing.