Sunny Ade’s guitarist jailed three years for drug trafficking

Justice S. Seidu of the Federal High Court, Lagos, on Tuesday sentenced a veteran guitarist, Fatoke Abiodun, to three years imprisonment for drug trafficking.
The convict pleaded guilty to one-count charge of unlawful exportation of 1.575kg of cocaine, while ruling was reserved till May.
The defence counsel, Bayo Onifade, had pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy since the convict is 62 years old, a husband of three wives with 12 children.
In his ruling, Justice Seidu sentenced the convict to three years imprisonment with effect from the date of arrest.
He noted that the appeal of the defence counsel and the fact that the convict pleaded guilty, without wasting the time of the court, was carefully considered.
Meanwhile, Chairman of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Ahmadu Giade, has reiterated his call for stiffer penalty for drug offenders. According to Giade, “punishment must be commensurate to serve as a deterrent to others.
“The drug is worth several millions of naira and the damage to humanity cannot be quantified”.
It would be recalled that Abiodun was arrested by NDLEA operatives on January 1, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos.
The convict, who played guitar for music star, King Sunny Ade, for over three decades, was caught while attempting to board an Air France flight to Italy.
During search, two parcels of cocaine weighing 1.575kg were found industrially hidden in the false bottom of his luggage.
Fatoke reportedly blamed his involvement on financial hardship.
According to Fatoke, “After my primary education, I only did one year in the secondary school before I went into music.
“I can play any kind of guitar, but my music career is a sad story. I played for King Sunny Ade for 30 years before I was unceremoniously retired in 2007.
“I was unprepared and without severance money, I saw the bitter side of life. This is my first time of involving myself in drug trafficking.
“I did it out of frustration because at my age I could not provide for my family. I am ashamed of myself”.
On how he got involved in drug trafficking, Fatoke explained that he got a call from a friend.
“I live in Ibadan with my family. I was invited to Lagos where I was given N50,000 and they promised that every arrangement will be ready for me to travel soon.
“They promised to pay me N1million. If not for my condition, I would have turned down the offer, but it was my last hope to be free from financial difficulty.
“I was given the bag and my ticket, but at the airport, NDLEA detected the drug. Since then, I have been in deep pain.
“I feel bad because I have no one to help me”, Fatoke regretted.