An Indonesian court has handed down a life sentence to 33-year old Nigerian, Uzoma Elele Alpha, to life in prison, for possession of methamphetamine and marijuana.
A 33-year old Nigerian man named Uzoma Elele Alpha was on Monday, July 6th, sentenced to life imprisonment by an Indonesian court for possessing banned substances - methamphetamine and marijuana worth an estimated $451,400.
The sentence was lighter than the death penalty sought by prosecutors. Chief prosecutor, Eddy Abdul Aziz, said his team would consider mounting an appeal to obtain the death sentence as his fellow 4 Nigerians were in April this year executed in Indonesia for the same drug trafficking.
"Uzoma Elele Alpha has been proven guilty for owning grade 1 narcotic drugs and is sentenced to life imprisonment,” Judge Hariyanto said in his ruling at the court on the southern outskirts of Jakarta.
Uzoma was arrested at his apartment last December during a raid by authorities from the immigration office. He failed to present valid papers for being in the country, prompting his arrest and subsequent drug testing, which came up positive for marijuana use. Police then searched his apartment where they found 7kg of meth and 300g of marijuana.