Man bags 6 years imprisonment for trafficking 32.20 kg of cannabis sativa
By Onyewuchi Ojinnaka
Justice Ibrahim Kala of the Federal High sitting in Ikoyi Lagos, on Thursday convicted and sentenced one Salami Abideen Jide to six years imprisonment or a fine of N6,000,000 for trafficking in 32.20kilograms of Cannabis Sativa.
Jide was also charged for procuring one Ebenezer Bayode, a freight forwarding agent of Maykar Ventures to import 32.20kilograms of Cannabis Sativa.
When the matter came up for arraignment , Cyril Osaigbovo Esq. who represented Barrister Abu Ibrahim as the prosecuting counsel told Justice Ibrahim Kala that the prosecution has a two counts charge and urged the court to order that the charge be read so that the defendant can take his plea.
The charge was then read and the defendant pleaded guilty to the two count charge.
Following his guilty plea to the two counts charge, Barrister Osaigbovo informed the court of his readiness to review the facts of the case.
The prosecution witness Mr Kenneth Babajia an Exhibit Officer with NDLEA was then invited to the witness box to give his testimony by giving oral and documentary evidence.
After the review of the case , Osaigbovo asked the court to convict the defendant as charged based on his guilty plea and the uncontroverted evidence adduced by the prosecution.
Justice Kala then convicted the defendant.
In her allocutus on behalf of the convict, defence counsel Ms Mimido Njeve pleaded for mercy for the defendant. She submitted that the defendant is remorseful and has regretted his action.
Njeve also urged the court to grant an option of fine as an alternative to custodian sentence.
After listening to the allocutus of the convict and confirmation from the prosecutor that the convict has no previous criminal records, Justice Kala delivering his judgement, sentenced Salami Abideen Jide to three years imprisonment on each of the counts as well as N3,000,000 on each of the counts. The judge held that while the term of imprisonment is concurrent, the fine of Three million naira each will be cumulative.
The charge against the defendant reads:
“That you Salami Abideen Jide, Male, Adult, on or about the 9th day of September 2026 at the Skyway Handling Company (SAHCO) Import Shed, a Customs Area/Point of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja – Lagos procured one Ebenezer Bayode, a freight forwarding agent of Maykar Ventures to import 32.20 kilograms of Cannabis Sativa, a Narcotc Drug, similar to Cocaine, LSD, Heroin and you thereby committed an act which is an offence contrary to Section 21 (2) (d) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Cap. N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and punishable under section 11(c) of the said Act.
“That you Salami Abideen Jide, Male, Adult, on or about the 9th day of September 2026 at the Skyway Handling Company (SAHCO) Export Shed, a Customs Area/Point of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja – Lagos without lawful authority imported 32.20kilograms of Cannabis Sativa, a Narcotic Drug, similar to Cocaine, LSD, Heroin and you thereby committed an act which is an offence contrary to Section 20 (1) (a) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Cap. N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, punishable under Section 20 (2)(a) of the said Act, 2004”
