Another Nigerian, Uzoma Elele Alpha, must be thanking God that an Indonesian Court was in a good mood on Monday, July 6, 2015, as he was sentenced to life imprisonment as against the death sentence the prosecution was pushing for.
The 33-year-old Elele was found guilty of drug trafficking after he was caught with banned substances, namely methamphetamine and marijuana, worth an estimated $451,400, (about N104 million).
Elele was arrested at his apartment at the Margonda Residence tower in Depok in December 2014, during a raid by authorities from the immigration office. The banned substance was found in his home after a search was conducted while he was also discovered to also be living in the country illegally, offences punishable by death.
The presiding judge, Justice Hariyanto, said in his ruling:
"Uzoma Elele Alpha has been proven guilty for owning grade 1 narcotic drugs and is sentenced to life imprisonment.”
Chief prosecutor Eddy Abdul Aziz however, said his team would consider mounting an appeal to obtain the death sentence.
In April, four Nigerians who had been on death-row in that country, were executed despite appeals by the Federal Government and several agencies around the world.
