Illicit Drug: Man, 27, Jailed 3 Years
Justice Akintayo Aluko of a Lagos Federal High Court, has convicted and sentenced a 27 year-old man, Stanley Chukwudi, to three years imprisonment for unlawful trafficking in 6.3 kilogramme of Cannabis Sativa, popularly called marijuana.
The convict was arrested with the banned weed, by the operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), on April 6, 2022, at Land Star Express Motor Park, Iddo, Oyingbo, Lagos State.
His offence according to the prosecutor, M. I. Erondu, who arraigned him before the court, contravened Section 11 (b) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004. and punishable under the same Act.
The convcit had pleaded guilty, when the charge was read to him. And the prosecutor had urged the court to Convict and sentence him in accordance with the section of the law he was charged.
But his lawyer, Bolanle Kolawole, pleaded with the court to tamper justice with mercy in sentencing him, saying that her client was a first time convict, who never wasted the precious time of the court.
Kolawole told the court that her client is suffering from a serious ailment, which if giving custodian sentence may not have adequate medical treatment. She therefore pleaded with the court to consider the option of fine in lieu of the custodian sentence.
Responding, the prosecutor confirmed to court that the convict has no previous record of conviction.
Following the submissions of counsel, Justice Aluko, after citing several plethoras of authorites, sentenced the convict to three years imprisonment.
The judge also ordered that the convict shall perform community service for two hours each in two weeks, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport command of the NDLEA.
However, the judge ordered the convict to pay the sum of N400,000, fine in lieu of the custodian sentence.
Charge Against The Convict Reads: “that you, Stanley Chukwudi, Male, Adult, 27 years old, on or about the 6th day of April, 2022 at “Land Star Express” Motor Park, Iddo, Oyingbo, Lagos State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court without lawful authority trafficked in 6.3 kilogramme of Cannabis Sativa, a narcotic drug similar to Cocaine, Heroin, and LSD and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 11 (b) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.”
