A court in Lilongwe has ordered a Nigerian national, Chinoso Ekoh, to pay K350,000 fine for being found with cocaine
Principal Resident Magistrate Rodrick Michongwe has also ruled that Ekoh should spend 18 months in prison if he fails to pay the fine.
The Nigerian will be deported back to his home country after the fine or completion of his sentence.
Lilongwe deputy Police spokesperson Foster Benjamin says the court heard that Lilongwe Police detectives were tipped that Ekoh, on May 2 this year at about 12 noon, wanted to sell the drugs to someone within Area 49, Gulliver.
But soon after getting to the arranged place Ekoh quickly recognized one officer and escaped to his house, which was nearby, prompting a police manhunt.
The detectives found two blisters of cocaine weighing 0.365 grams, and they seized it and its owner.
In court, Ekoh pleaded guilty to possessing dangerous drugs and asked for leniency because he didn’t know what he was doing.
However, State prosecutor Mary Jonas of Central West Region Headquarters argued for a stiffer punishment, which Magistrate Michongwe agreed with, noting that drug-related cases are rampant in the country and are mostly perpetrated by Nigerians like Ekoh.
Michongwe then ordered the Nigerian to pay K350,000 fine or to spend 18-months in prison.
Ekoh is yet to pay and has since started serving his jail term.
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