By Jude-Ken Ojinnaka
Two drug dealers Christian Osinachi and Odinaka Enwere were on Thursday convicted and sentenced by a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos to 300 hours each of community service for drug trafficking.
The convicts Osinachi, 27, and Enwere, 34, were sentenced by Justice Abimbola Awogboro for conspiracy to engage in unlawful deal in 216 grams of cannabis sativa.
Justice Awogboro convicted and sentenced the duo following their guilty pleas to a two-counts charge preferred against them by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
After their pleas, the court stood down the matter for review of facts of the case.
Later, when the case was called up, the prosecutor, Mrs N J Mamza reviewed the facts of the case before the court, and tendered several exhibits in support of her case
Some of the exhibits tendered included the statement of the defendants, drug analysis form, sealed envelope, amongst others.
The court admitted all exhibits as tendered, while the prosecutor urged the court to proceed and convict the defendants based on their pleas and the evidence adduced by prosecution.
Meanwhile, before the court’s verdict, the defendants begged the court to show mercy on them, promising that they will not engage in drugs again.
After listening to their plea for mercy, Justice Awogboro sentenced them to 300 hours of community service each for the offence. He cautioned them against going back to the illicit business while telling them the consequences of bringing them back to the court.
According to the charge filed by the prosecutor, the convicts were said to have committed the offences on November 15, 2023 at the Lekki, Ajah area of Lagos
She said that both of them conspired to unlawfully deal in 216 grams of cannabis sativa a k.a hemp.
Meanwhile, in another similar charge against a defendant Rasaq Bello, the court also sentenced him to 300 hours of community service for drug trafficking.
Bello was said to have illegally dealt in 487grams of cannabis sativa without lawful authority.
He was said to have committed the offence on November 30, 2023, at the Surulere area of Lagos .
He had also pleaded guilty to the charge, and was sentenced to 300 hours of community service.
The offence contravenes the provisions of Section 11(c) of the NDLEA Act, Cap N30 Law of the Federation 2004.
