By Jude-Ken Ojinnaka
Justice Ibrahim Kala of a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Wednesday convicted and sentenced a 28 year-old man, Iheakara Ifeanyichukwu Festus, to two years imprisonment for attempting to export 9.80 kilograms of Cannabis Sativa, a.k.a. marijuana, to Oman, an Arabian country.
The convict was jailed by Justice Kala, after he admitted committing the offence and pleaded guilty to one count charge, preferred against him by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
While arraigning the convict, NDLEA prosecutor Augustine Nwagu Esq. told the court that the convict was arrested with the prohibited substance on April 18, 2024, at the departure Hall of Terminal 11 of Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, during the outward clearance of passengers on an Ethiopian Airline flight to Oman via Addis Ababa.
According to the charge filed by the prosecutor, the convict’s action, contravened Section 11(b) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
In view of the the guilty plea of the convict to the charge, the prosecutor while reviewing the facts of the case through a witness, Heldar Dogo, an exhibit keeper, tendered all the items in connection with the offence as exhibits in the matter.
After the tendering of the exhibits, the prosecutor urged the court to sentence the convict in accordance with the section of the law he was charged.
But counsel to the convict, Chief Benson Ndakara, in his allocutus , pleaded with the court to tamper justice with mercy in sentencing his convict.
He told the court that convict is a first time offender, who did not have any previous conviction record and did not waste the precious time of the court.
He told the court that his convict was misled by those that are wiser than him.
Ndakara pleaded with the court to consider an option of fine in lieu of the custodian sentence.
In his judgement after listening to the allocutus of the defence, Justice Kala after sentenced him to two years imprisonment.
However, the judge ordered the convict to pay the sum of N500, 000, as option of fine in lieu of the jail term.
The charge against the convict reads:
“That you Iheakara Ifeanyichukwu Festus, male, 28 years old, on or about the 18th day of April 2024 during the outward clearance of passengers on an Ethiopian Airline flight to Oman via Addis Ababa at the Departure Hall of Terminal 11 of Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja – Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court without lawful authority exported 9.80 Kilogrames of Cannabis Sativa, a narcotic drug similar to Heroin, LSD or Cocaine 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.”