Ahmad Abdelmonim Altigani Ahmed, a 31-year-old Sudanese lawyer, was today sentenced at the Entebbe Chief Magistrate’s Court after attempting to export 436 pieces of worked elephant ivory disguised as wood samples. The illicit shipment, bound for Madinah, Saudi Arabia, was intercepted at Entebbe Airport on January 7 2025.
In court, Ahmed pleaded guilty to three charges: attempting to export wildlife specimens without a license, unlawful possession of elephant ivory, and unlawful possession of a warthog tooth. He was fined Shs 80 million for the export offence and Shs 30 million for each possession charge—or face five years in prison if he fails to pay.
Annet, the Manager of Prosecutions at the Uganda Wildlife Authority, stressed: “The accused is a lawyer by profession and should uphold, not break, the law. Elephants and warthogs are vital to tourism, our ecosystem, and cultural heritage. We prayed for a deterrent sentence to safeguard Uganda’s wildlife.”
Presiding magistrate Her Worship Amabilis Stellamelis added: “Cases like these are becoming rampant, with Uganda increasingly exploited as a transit route for illegal wildlife products. This judgment is intended to send a strong and clear message.”
Upon completing his sentence, Ahmed will be deported to Sudan.
