45 -year-old man bags 5 years imprisonment for dealing in 19kg of prohibited drug
By Onyewuchi Ojinnaka
Justice Akintoye Aluko of the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Tuesday convicted and sentenced a 43- year- old man, Wasiu Bankole to 5 years imprisonment or alternatively a fine of N2 million for dealing in 19 kilograms of Cannabis Sativa, a prohibited drug.
Justice Aluko convicted and sentenced Bankole following his guilty plea to a one count charge to dealing in the banned substance.
According to the one count charge, Wasiu Bankole a 43 years old man was said to have on or about the 12th day of August, 2025 at Mushin, Lagos State dealt in 19 kilograms of Cannabis Sativa, a narcotic drug similar to Cocaine, Heroin and LSD and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 11(c) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
When the matter came up for arraignment today Tuesday, the prosecutor Mr Peter Ekuri told the 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.
Consequently, the charge was read and Bankole pleaded guilty to the charge.
Following his guilty plea, the prosecutor reviewed the facts of the case by tendering relevant exhibits and the bulk of the Cannabis Sativa seized from the defendant.
The prosecutor then urged the court to convict Bankole based on his admittance of guilt and the exhibits tendered before the court.
After listening to the prosecutor’s submission, Justice Aluko convicted Bankola as charged.
Following his conviction, counsel to the convict, Mrs Oreofe Ogunleye made allocutus on his behalf.
In the allocutus, Ogunleye pleaded for mercy on behalf of the convict, adding that the convict is a first time offender who pleaded guilty at the first instance.
Ogunleye stated that the convict is remorseful and has promised never to go back into crime if given another chance . She also pleaded with the court to grant an option of fine instead of custodian sentence.
After listening to the allocutus, Justice Aluko sentenced Wasiu Bankole to 5 years imprisonment or a fine of N2 million in the alternative.
