Lilongwe Senior Resident Magistrate’s Court has sentenced a Malawian woman and her three Nigerian accomplices for illegal possession of Indian hemp and cocaine in August this year.
The Malawian woman, identified as Martina Msungama, has been fined K500 000 fine or in default to serve 12 months imprisonment. She has since paid the fine.
Central Region Police spokesperson Nolliettie Chimala said senior resident magistrate Florence Msekandiana also sentenced a Nigerian, Collins Okolingwe, to three years imprisonment without option of a fine and ordered that he should be deported to Nigeria after serving the sentence.
“Other Nigerians, Kingsley Olisa and Chigozye Eze, were both fined K400 000 or in default to serve 12 months. They will be deported to Nigeria within 21 days,” she said.
Msungama and the three Nigerians were arrested last month after police received a tip-off that the woman was unlawfully keeping her sister’s vehicle.
Chimala said when police searched the house of Msungama’s boyfriend in Area 49 in Lilongwe, they also found Indian hemp and cocaine and charged her with possession of dangerous drugs.
By August 31 this year, 16 Nigerians were arrested in connection with illicit drug deals following the arrest of their compatriot Alex Ojukwu, who confessed to having bought an air ticket for a young Malawian Riyadh Randera to go on an international drug errand. Randera died in Brazil after a condom containing drugs he swallowed burst.
The Nigerian community in Malawi blamed the situation on what it described as weak laws.
