By Onyewuchi Ojinnaka
Justice Akintayo Aluko of a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Thursday (today) convicted and sentenced a 52-year-old man Christopher Efezokhae to two years imprisonment without option of fine for dealing in 7.4 kilogrammes of Cannabis Sativa, otherwise known as Marijuana.
Justice Aluko sentenced the defendant to the jail term upon his plea of guilt to the one count charge preferred against him by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, (NDLEA).
According to the charge filed and argued by counsel to the anti- narcotic agency , Naja Mamza , the convict, Christopher Efezokhae was said to have on or about the 11th day of September 2024 at the Young Shall Grow Motor Park, Cele Bus Stop, Lagos State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court without lawful authority trafficked 7.4 Kilogrammes of Cannabis Sativa, a narcotic drug similar to Cocaine, Heroin and LSD and therefore 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.
When the matter came up today, the prosecutor, Naja Mamza informed the trial judge that the prosecution has a one count charge pending before the court and urged the court to order that the charge be read so that the defendant can take his plea.
Following the reading of the charge and the guilty plea by the defendant, the prosecutor urged the court to allow prosecution review the fact of the case upon which all material evidence were tendered before the court and admitted in evidence
The prosecutor thereafter urged the court to convict the defendant as charged based on his guilty plea, the evidence placed before the court and in line with the relevant Section in the Administration of Criminal Justice Act.
In his ruling, Justice Aluko convicted the defendant as charged.
Following the conviction of Christopher Efezokhae, his counsel, Mr Prosper Ojakpovo made allocutus on behalf of the defendant.
Ojakpovo asked the court to temper justice with mercy in sentencing the convict and prayed for an option of fine instead of custodial sentence.
After listening to both the prosecution and the defence counsel, Justice Aluko sentenced the convict to two years imprisonment without option of fine.
The charge against the defendant reads:
“That you, Christopher Efezokhae, Male, Adult, 52 years old, on or about the 11th day of September 2024, at the Young Shall Grow Motor Park, Cele Bus Stop, Lagos State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court without lawful authority trafficked 7.4 Kilogrammes of Cannabis Sativa, a narcotic drug similar to Cocaine, Heroin and LSD and therefore 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.”