A Canadian woman has been sentenced to 11 years in prison for importing cannabis into Nigeria. The case highlights the strict drug enforcement laws in the country and serves as a warning to international smugglers.
A Federal High Court in Lagos has handed down an 11-year prison sentence to Adrienne Munju, a 41-year-old Canadian citizen, for importing 35.20 kilograms of cannabis, commonly referred to as ‘Canadian Loud,’ into Nigeria.
Justice Dehinde Dipeolu delivered the verdict on Wednesday and gave Munju the option to pay a N100 million fine instead of serving a prison sentence.
Munju was found guilty after admitting to two charges filed against her by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
The charges originated from her unlawful importation of cannabis, which was uncovered on October 3, 2024, during the passenger clearance process for a KLM flight at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.
The NDLEA prosecutor, Mr. Abu Ibrahim, told the court that Munju had breached Section 20(1)(a) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act and is subject to penalties outlined in Section 20(2)(a) of the same legislation. He submitted evidence and exhibits to support his case, urging Justice Dipeolu to convict Munju based on her guilty plea and the presented materials.
In reply, the judge declared Munju guilty as charged and issued the sentence. Throughout the proceedings, Munju’s defense team—composed of Benson Ndakara, Dennis Warri, and Kate Igbo—appealed for leniency by asking the court to show mercy towards their client.
“We respectfully request leniency for the convict, Your Honor.”
“The convict promptly pleaded guilty, respecting the court’s valuable time and has shown significant remorse,” he stated.
Ndakara mentioned that the convict had promised to avoid criminal activities in the future and to be more cautious if granted a second chance.
Discussing the aggravating factor contributing to the crime, Ndakara stated that the convict was misled into taking significant risks and urged the court to consider a lenient sentence for her.
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The convict’s attorney requested that the court consider imposing a fine instead of incarceration, noting that the convict has no relatives or acquaintances in Nigeria and has been abandoned by everyone.
After hearing the defense counsel’s allocutus, Justice Dipeolu sentenced Munju to six years in prison for count one and five years for count two, with an alternative option of a N50 million fine for each count.
Justice Dipeolu, however, ruled that both the prison sentence and the option of a fine shall be applied at the same time.
On October 3, 2024, Munju was detained by NDLEA agents at Lagos’s Murtala Muhammed International Airport for bringing in a significant batch of potent synthetic cannabis known as ‘Canadian Loud’.
The convict was taken into custody during the passenger clearance process for a KLM flight arriving from Canada at Terminal 1 of Lagos Airport.
Based on data from the anti-narcotic agency, it was discovered that Adrienne, who was visiting Nigeria for the first time, had 74 parcels of an illegal substance weighing a total of 35.20 kilograms concealed in two out of her three bags during a joint inspection.
In her statement, she asserted that she had been recruited via an online platform to transport the consignment for 10,000 Canadian dollars upon successful delivery in Lagos.
She explained that she accepted the offer because she needed the money to fund her ongoing Master’s degree program in Canada.
