King Sunny Ade’s former guitarist has received a three years imprisonment for drug trafficking.
At the Federal High Court, Lagos, Fatoke Abiodun, 62, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful exportation of 1.575kg of cocaine.
According to reports; Justice S. Seidu sentenced him to three years imprisonment with effect from the date of arrest.
“The appeal of the defence counsel has been taken into consideration and the fact that the convict pleaded guilty as charged without wasting the time of the court was also carefully considered,” Seidu said.
A sober Abiodun said he was driven into the crime due to poverty.
“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 without severance benefit. I was unprepared for it and I saw the bitter side of life. This is my first time of trafficking drugs. I did it out of frustration because at my age, I could not provide for my family. I am ashamed of myself,” he said.
In reaction, Chairman of NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade, pushed for firmer penalties for drug offenders. “Punishment must be commensurate with offence to serve as a deterrent to others. The drug is worth millions of naira and the damage to humanity cannot be quantified,” he said.
The Punch reports:
Prior to the judgment, defence counsel, Mr. Bayo Onifade, pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy as Abiodun was a husband of three wives with 12 children.
Abiodun was apprehended by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency on January 1, 2013, at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos.
Abiodun, who played guitar for music star, King Sunny Ade, for over three decades, was caught while attempting to board an Air France flight to Italy.
During a search, two parcels of cocaine weighing 1.575kg were found hidden in the false bottom of his luggage.
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