Man, 60, Bags 5 Years Jail term For Trafficking In 1.9kg Of Marijuana
Justice Daniel Osiagor of a Lagos Federal High Court, Tuesday convicted and sentenced a 60 years old man, Ekeh Julius Ezebunwa, to five years imprisonment for trafficking in 1.95 kilograms of Cannabis Sativa popularly called marijuana.
Justice Osiagor convicted and sentenced the man after he pleaded guilty to a count charge of unlawful exportation of the prohibited weed, made against him by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
The NDLEA through its prosecutor, Mr. Augustine Nwagu, told the court that the Convict was arrested with the banned weed, which he intended to export to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on February 14, 2022, at SAHCO Export Shed at Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, during the examination and clearing of cargoes.
Nwagu told the court that the offence committed by the convict, was 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.
The Convict, did not denied the allegation, as he quickly pleaded to the charge when it was read to him.
Following his guilty plea, the prosecutor reviewed the facts of the charge. And urged the court to sentence the Convict in consonant with section 11(b) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
But the Convict’s counsel, Mr. Benson Ndakara, pleaded with the court to give his client an option of fine in lieu of custodian sentence, being a first time convict who has no previous record of conviction.
In his judgment, Justice Osiagor, sentenced the convict to five years Imprisonment.
The judge however, ordered the Convict to pay the sum of N150, 000, in lieu of the jail term. While also ordered that the seized drugs be destroyed by NDLEA if there was appeal against the judgment within the days stipulated by the law.
