By Onyewuchi Ojinnaka
Senior Correspondent
Justice Abdullazeez Anka of Federal High Court Lagos on Thursday sentenced a 20-year-old petty trader, Abubakar Mustapha, to five years imprisonment without option of a fine for dealing in 1.5 kilogrammes of cannabis (hemp).
Mustapha of unknown address was arrested by operatives of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on January 15 at White Sand in Orile Iganmu area of Lagos State while dealing in 1.5kgs of Cannabis without lawful authority. He was docked on February 15 and he had pleaded guilty to the offence as charged.
Convicting him, Justice Anka said the court had no option than to sentence Mustapha, since he had pleaded guilty to the charge.
“In view of the plea of the accused and the evidence before the court, the accused is found guilty as charged and accordingly convicted.
“He is hereby sentenced to five years’ imprisonment which takes effect from the date of arrest,” Anka said.
He also ordered that the bulk of the drug be returned to the prosecution for destruction.
According to the Judge, the conviction was in accordance with the provisions of the Criminal Procedure Act, Laws of the Federation, 2004.
Anka had convicted Mustapha after the review of the facts of the case as provided by the prosecutor, Mr Jeremiah Aernan, an officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
Stating the facts of the case, Aernan told the court that Mustapha was caught by a team of NDLEA officers while dealing in 1.5 kgs of hemp without any lawful authority.
He said the offence committed by the accused contravened Section 11 (c) of the NDLEA Act, Laws of the Federation, 2004.
He tendered among other items, the bulk of the hard drug weighing 1.5kg, report of test analysis, certificate of drug analysis and confessional statement.
The items were admitted in evidence as exhibits.
Earlier before the pronoucement of the sentence by the trial judge, Mustapha, had in his plea for mercy (Allocutus) asked the court for leniency, promising that he would never indulge in such illicit business.