A Federal High Court in Lagos has sentenced businessman and Chief Executive Officer of G Care Pharm Limited, Megwalu Chukwudi Bob-Manuel, to four years in prison over the unlawful procurement and attempted export of 8.30 kilogrammes of Raphnol, a controlled psychotropic substance.
Justice Akintayo Aluko handed down the sentence after Bob-Manuel pleaded guilty to two charges relating to the unlawful procurement and exportation of the substance.
The case centred on an incident at the NAHCO Export Shed, a Customs facility at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, on July 24, 2026.
According to the prosecution, the businessman was involved in an attempt to send the 8.30kg consignment to Nairobi, Kenya, without the required legal authority.
The prosecution alleged that Bob-Manuel engaged two individuals, identified as Justina of Tina Travels Service Limited and Anosie Ebube of Fair Express, to facilitate the exportation of the controlled substance.
He was also accused of attempting to personally export the substance through the same airport.
The offences were brought under the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, specifically provisions dealing with unlawful procurement and exportation of controlled substances.
After Bob-Manuel entered his guilty plea, the prosecution reviewed the facts of the case and presented the relevant exhibits before the court.
His lawyer, Chief Benson Ndakara, assisted by Kate Igbo, appealed to the court for leniency. The defence described Bob-Manuel as a first-time offender who had saved the court considerable time by admitting the offences.
Counsel also asked the court to consider a non-custodial option instead of imprisonment.
Justice Aluko, after considering the quantity of the substance and the circumstances presented by the defence, sentenced Bob-Manuel to four years on each of the two counts.
However, the sentences are to run concurrently, meaning he is not required to serve eight years. The four-year term takes effect from the date of his arrest.
The court also granted an option of a ₦1 million fine in lieu of imprisonment, following the plea by the defence.
The conviction brings the case to a conclusion after the businessman admitted the allegations against him. It also highlights the strict legal consequences surrounding the unauthorised movement of controlled psychotropic substances through Nigeria’s international airports.
The case was prosecuted by Arit N. Okon, who urged the court to convict and sentence the defendant after his guilty plea and the presentation of the prosecution’s evidence.