A Federal High Court in Lagos has sentenced a 60-year-old Chinese woman, Ting Hong Kiaon, to two years in prison for unlawfully importing 31 kilogrammes of cannabis sativa into Nigeria.
Justice Musa Kakaki handed down the sentence on Thursday after Kiaon pleaded guilty to a one-count charge brought against her by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
According to the prosecution, Kiaon was arrested on May 17, 2026, after arriving at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja, Lagos, with 31kg of cannabis sativa. The substance was described in the charge as a narcotic drug.
Following her guilty plea, NDLEA prosecutor Cyril Osaigbovo presented documentary evidence and the seized cannabis before the court. He subsequently urged the judge to convict Kiaon based on her admission and the evidence presented by the prosecution.
Justice Kakaki, after reviewing the evidence before the court, found Kiaon guilty as charged.
However, her lawyer, Benson Ndakara, appealed to the court for leniency during his allocutus. He argued that his client had shown remorse by pleading guilty without wasting the court’s time.
Ndakara also asked the court to consider Kiaon’s age, arguing that the 60-year-old had learnt from the experience and would not repeat the offence.
The defence counsel further described Kiaon as a victim of circumstances, claiming that she had been deceived by an individual who presented a romantic interest while allegedly having an ulterior motive.
“She interacted with a person more wiser than her who proposes love on one hand, but with ulterior motive,” Ndakara told the court.
He consequently asked Justice Kakaki to impose a non-custodial sentence or an option of fine, saying he was prepared to bear the financial cost on behalf of his client.
“She has been abandoned. I ask for mercy from the temple of justice,” he pleaded.
The court, however, declined to impose a fine in place of imprisonment.
In his ruling, Justice Kakaki sentenced Kiaon to two years imprisonment, with the sentence taking effect from May 17, 2026, the day she was arrested.
The judge said the convict was aware of what she was involved in and noted the broader consequences associated with drug trafficking.
Justice Kakaki said he could not overlook the dangers posed by illicit drugs to society, as well as the potential damage drug trafficking could cause to Nigeria’s image.
The ruling brings to a close the case against Kiaon following her guilty plea and the prosecution’s presentation of evidence before the court.
