Justice Nicholas Oweibo of a Lagos Federal High Court, has convicted and sentenced a self-acclaimed freight agent, Gbadamosi Quadri Sunkanmi, to two years of imprisonment, for trafficking in 17.3 Kilogrames of Cannabis indica.
The convicted freight agent, was given the jail-term after he pleaded guilty to the one count-charge of unlawful importation of the prohibited weeds, by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), on the day he was arraigned.
On the arraignment of the convict, the prosecutor, Mr. Raphael Hinmikaiye, told the court that he has a one count-charge pending and urged the court to direct that the charge be read so that the defendant can take his place.
Following the reading of the charge and the defendant place of guilt to same, the fact of the case was reviewed by the prosecutor Mr Raphael Hinmikaiye while he alao tendered all the exhibits involved and statement of the accused.
After the review of fact of the case, Hinmikaiye urged the court to convict the defendant, Gbadamosi Quadri Sunkanmi as charged based on his plea of guilt and evidence before the court.
Consequently Justice Oweibo convicted the defendant based on his plea of guilt and evidence placed before the court and in line with the relevant provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act , ACJA.
Following the conviction of the freight agent, his lawyer, Bolanle Kolawole in her allocutus, pleaded with the court to have mercy on her client. Adding that her client is a first time offender, who did not waste the time of the court to plea guilty to the charge against him, and that he has became remorseful since his arrest.
Upon confirmation by the prosecutor that the convict was a first time offender, Justice Oweibo in his judgment sentenced the convict to three years imprisonment or a fine of N1. 5 million in lieu of the jail-term.
The charge against the convict reads; “That you, Gbadamosi Quadri Sunkanmi, Male, Adult, on or about the 11th day of January, 2022, at Tincan Island Port, Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, without lawful authority imported 17.3 Kilogrammes of Cannabis indica which is a narcotic drug similar to Cocaine, Heroin or LSD and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 11(a) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap N30 laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.”