A 41-year-old Canadian woman, Adrienne Munju, was sentenced to 11 years in prison by a Federal High Court in Lagos on October 23, 2024, after being convicted of importing 74 parcels of “Canadian Loud,” a potent strain of synthetic cannabis. The total weight of the seized drugs was 35.20 kilograms.
According to Femi Babafemi, spokesperson for the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Munju was arrested on October 3, 2024, at Terminal 1 of Murtala Muhammed International Airport during passenger clearance on a KLM flight. She was arraigned on a two-count charge before Justice Dehinde Dipeolu.
In her post-arrest confession, Munju revealed that she had been recruited through an online platform to traffic the drugs, with a promise of 10,000 Canadian dollars upon successful delivery in Lagos. She cited financial difficulties and the need to fund her master’s degree program in Canada as reasons for accepting the offer.
Justice Dipeolu sentenced Munju to six years on the first count and five years on the second, totaling 11 years. However, the judge also provided the option of a fine: N50 million for each count, amounting to a total of N100 million.
The charges against Munju stated:
“That you, Adrienne Munju, Adult, Female, a Canadian, on or about the 3rd of October, 2024, during the inward clearance of passengers on a KLM flight at the ‘D’ Arrival Hall of Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, without lawful authority, imported 35.20 kilograms of Cannabis Sativa, otherwise known as ‘Canadian Loud,’ thereby committing an offense contrary to Section 20(1)(a) and punishable under Section 20(2)(a) of the NDLEA Act, Cap N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.”
Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, praised the agency’s officers and the judiciary for their swift action in the case. He emphasized that this conviction serves as a strong warning to both foreigners and locals considering drug smuggling into Nigeria.