Abiodun Fatoke (62), who played the guitar for Juju musician
King Sunny Ade for three decades was sentenced yesterday at the Federal High
Court sitting in Lagos, He was arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law
Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on January 1 at the Murtala Mohammed International
Airport (MMIA), Lagos, while attempting to board an Air France flight to Italy.
Two parcels of cocaine, weighing 1.575kg, were found in his
luggage.
Fatoke, who has three wives and 12 children, pleaded guilty
to the charge.
Justice S. Seidu sentenced him to three years imprisonment
with effect from the date of arrest.
Blaming his involvement in trafficking on financial
hardship, Fatoke said: “After my primary education, I spent one year in
secondary school before I went into music. I can play any kind of guitar but my
music career is a sad story. I played for King Sunny Ade for 30 years before I
was unceremoniously retired in 2007.
“I was unprepared and without severance money, I saw the
bitter side of life. This is my first time of involving in drug trafficking. I
did it out of frustration because at my age, I cannot provide for my family. I
am ashamed of myself.”
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“They promised to pay me N1 million. If not for my
condition, I would have turned down the offer, but it was my last hope to be
free from financial difficulty.
“I was given the bag and my ticket, but at the airport,
NDLEA officials detected the drug. Since then, I have been in deep pains. I
feel bad because I have no one to help me.”
NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Ahmadu Giade called for
stiffer penalties for drug offenders.
Giade said: “Punishment must be commensurate to the crime to
deter others. The drug is worth several millions of naira and the damage to
humanity cannot be quantified”.
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09:53
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