The Guardian (Nigeria)

Court jails man over illicit drug deal

- By Joseph Onyekwere

AFEDERAL High Court, Lagos has ruled that Abiodun Ojulate would spend six months in Prison for dealing on “Indian Hemp”.

Justice Sule Hassan pronounced the jail term on the convict Friday, after he pleaded guilty to a count charge of unlawful dealing in 130 grams of cannabis sativa, popularly called Indian hemp or marijuana, leveled against him by the National Drug Laws Enforcemen­t Agency (NDLEA).

The prosecutor, Aliyu Abubakar, said the convict, a resident of 3, Ideson Compound, Iberekodo, Badagry, was arrested on October 12, 2018, at Church Elijah Bus Stop, where he was selling the banned weed by the operatives of his agency.

Abubakar further told the court that upon the convict's arrest, he admitted being the owner of the banned weed, adding that the convict in his confession­al statements said he has been selling it for longer time.

Based on the convict’s confession­al statements and exhibits recovered from him, he was charged to court.

According to the prosecutor, the offence committed by the convict contravene­d section 11(a) of the National Drug Laws Enforcemen­t Agency act Cap. N40 Laws of the federation of Nigeria, 2004.

Upon the reading of the charge, the convict pleaded guilty. Justice Hassan thereby pronounced him guilty as charge based on his plea and exhibits tendered by the prosecutor.

His counsel, Oke Ojakovo, pleaded with the court to tamper justice with mercy in sentencing his client, as he is a first term offender and for not wasting the precious time of the court.

Ojakovo also told the court that the convict has become remorseful and that he had learnt his lesson during his detention period and promised not to go back to any crime if given second chance.

Sentencing the convict, Justice Hassan said: "I have listened to the plea for mercy made by the convict's lawyer and the confirmati­on that the convict is a first time offender and for not wasting the precious time of the court.

"The convict is hereby sentence to six months imprisonme­nt. The sentence term will commence from the day of his arrest and the time spent in detention is to removed from the term".

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