Nigerian National gets 22-year jail sentence in South Africa over drug trafficking

A South African court has sentenced Nigerian national Victor Udoh and his South African associate, Vuyisekha Mzwakhe, to a combined 37 years in prison over drug-related offences and other violations.

The Oudtshoorn Regional Court handed Udoh, 33, a 22-year sentence, 20 years for drug dealing and two years for immigration offences. Mzwakhe was sentenced to 15 years for acting as a courier in the operation.

Court records revealed that the case started in 2021 when Mzwakhe reached out to Udoh via a social media messaging platform, offering to transport items between major South African cities.

Prosecutors said she willingly participated as a drug courier and later received funds from Udoh for travel and accommodation related to the operation.

Investigators traced the arrangement to a guesthouse in George, where a parcel was delivered to the pair on October 15, 2021.

Police later intercepted a taxi transporting the two suspects to Oudtshoorn after receiving intelligence on their movements. A search of the vehicle led to the recovery of a box containing 743 grams of methamphetamine, popularly known as “tik,” with an estimated street value of R260,050.

During the trial, state prosecutor Hyron Goulding argued that the evidence pointed to Udoh as the coordinator of the operation, while Mzwakhe acted as a willing participant. Both defendants pleaded not guilty — with Mzwakhe denying knowledge of the contents of the package and Udoh challenging the legality of the search — but the court ruled that officers had appropriate authorisation for the roadblock and that the suspects had consented to the search.

The court was also informed that Udoh had been residing unlawfully in South Africa for more than five years after his asylum application was rejected in 2016.

While Mzwakhe was initially released on bail, she was later rearrested for failing to appear in court. Udoh remained in custody throughout the five-year duration of the trial after being denied bail.

The National Prosecuting Authority welcomed the judgment, saying the ruling underscores the justice system’s commitment to confronting drug-related crimes, which it described as a major driver of violence and community destabilisation.

The sentencing comes amid renewed scrutiny of transnational drug networks operating across Africa and Asia, with authorities in India recently announcing the arrest of 50 Nigerian nationals in a large-scale operation targeting an international narcotics distribution network.

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