Solomon Abudu, a Nigerian national, was arrested in 2011 in Kuala Lumpur, alongside Levi Ifeanyi Nzeh during a police undercover operation. The authorities found 13,882 grams of cannabis inside a car they were allegedly using, leading to a charge of drug trafficking under Section 39B(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, which carries a mandatory death penalty. Separately, when Solomon was searched outside Tropicana Corner restaurant, officers found 18.22 grams of methamphetamine in his pocket, resulting in a second charge of drug possession under Section 12(2) of the Dangerous Drugs Act. The prosecution invoked statutory presumptions of possession and trafficking under Section 37(da), arguing that the weight of the cannabis far exceeded the legal threshold, automatically establishing intent to traffic unless rebutted by the accused.
After trial, Solomon was convicted and sentenced to death for trafficking, while for possession, he received four years in prison and four strokes of the cane by the High Court. His conviction and sentence by the High Court was affirmed by the Court of Appeal and Federal Court.
Following the Applicant’s resentencing hearing on 4 July 2024, his death sentence was set aside and substituted with an imprisonment term of 30 years from the date of his arrest (in 2012) and 12 strokes of whipping.