Court sentenced father of 3 to 20 years imprisonment for dealing in 2.10kg of Indian Hemp

A Federal High Court, sitting in Lagos, Wednesday convicted and sentenced a father of three, Olatunji Emmanuel, to 20 years imprisonment, for dealing in 2.10 kilograms of Cannabis Sativa popularly called Indian Hemp.

Justice Tijjani Ringim, gave the verdict, after the prosecutor, Mr Abu Ibrahim, reviewed the facts of the two counts charge of unlawful dealing in the banned weed, preferred against the convict by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

Earlier, the convict, a resident of Bale Street, Lafiaji Beachside off Eleganza Bus Stop, Lekki, Lagos, who committed the unlawful offense on March 17, 2021, had pleaded guilty to the charge, against him, when he was arraigned before the court in June and still maintained his stance Wednesday before the charge was reviewed.

While reviewing the facts of the charge, the prosecutor also tendered some exhibits which included a certificate of test analysis; packing of substance form, a large brown envelope housing sample of the band weed, drug analysis report, the convict’s two confessional statements, and the bulk of the seized banned weed.

The prosecutor after the review urged the court to sentence the convict as prescribed by Section 11(c) and 19 of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Cap N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

But the convict’s counsel, Mr Oke Ojakovo, in his allocator, urged the court to temper justice with mercy in sentencing the convict, stating that he had become remorseful since he was arrested and promised not to engage in the criminal act.

Oke told the court that the convict is a father of three kids, whose parents are late and the only breadwinner of the family.

In his judgment, Justice Ringim after considering the submissions of both counsels, sentenced the convict to five years on count one and 15 years on count two.

The judge however gave an option of N120,000, fine, in lieu of jail term.

Justice Ringim, also directed NDLEA to destroy the seized drug by burning it, if there is no appeal against the judgment.