A Nigerian man and woman were sentenced to six and a half years in prison by a High Court in Malaysia today for possession of drugs three years ago.
Judge Datuk Anselm Charles Fernandis imposed the sentence on Kebechi Thomas Nwankwu, 38, and Happy Akhidenor Aituaje, 33, after they pleaded guilty to the charge of possessing 580.98 gm of cannabis.
The offence was committed at an apartment in the city of Melaka on March 24, 2022, around 5.30 am.
They were charged under Section 12(2) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, which is punishable by life imprisonment or a minimum of five years in prison and a minimum of 10 strokes of the cane.
Lawyer Datin Kharen Jit Kaur, who represented both the accused, appealed for a minimum sentence for her clients on the basis that they had families in Nigeria.
However, deputy public prosecutor Mohd Asri Abd Rahman Sidik urged for a stringent penalty, emphasising the importance of public interest over personal considerations, given the gravity of drug-related offences.
He also stressed that the sentence should serve as a deterrent to Malaysians and foreigners to prevent similar offences.
