An Abuja based Nigerian businessman has been sentenced to life imprisonment by a Tanzanian high court for drug trafficking, the Citizen reports.

Mike Nwankwo was on Friday sentenced after the sitting judge Mohamed Gwae found him guilty of attempting to smuggle 5,126 grams of heroin with the help of his girlfriend Mastura Makangoro to Freetown, Sierra Leone in February 2014.

The judge while giving his verdict explained that the court’s decision to hand the Nigerian citizen lifetime imprisonment was backed by “testimonies of nine witnesses to the prosecution and 18 exhibits, confirming his indictment beyond every reasonable doubt.”

The court heard that Ms. Makongoro had asked Mr. Nwankwo for the sum of Sh15 million for the construction of a house, and the latter replied that he would find her a job that would provide her with the money.

Mr. Nwankwo then assigned Ms. Makongoro to transport a bag containing the drugs to Sierra Leone.

The court however acquitted Ms. Makangoro, his accomplice on the grounds that there was no evidence against her.  

Mr. Gwae said he acquitted Ms. Makongoro because the drugs were stored in a way that she would not have been aware that there was anything extra in the bag.

Mr. Nwakwo had on the day of their arrest escorted his girlfriend to Kilimanjaro International Airport where she was billed to board an Ethiopian airline flight to Freetown.

Ms. Makangoro was arrested after security officers became suspicious of her luggage, asking her to reduce some of her belongings. 

Despite reducing her luggage, the defendant’s bag was still heavy, leaving the police with no option other than to tear up the bag, discovering four envelopes that contained the drugs.

The police took the suspect to KIA Police Station, where she confessed to receiving the bag from her Nigerian boyfriend.

Mr. Nwakwo was later apprehended by the police after he returned to the airport in search of his girlfriend.

The prosecution in the case was led by state advocate from the National Prosecution Service (NPS), Ignas Mwinuka, while Mr. Nwankwo was defended by advocate Diana Solomoni and Ms. Mastura who was acquitted, was defended by advocate Modestus Njau.