By Jude-Ken Ojinnaka
A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has convicted three defendants charged with trafficking Tramadol and Pentazocine hard drugs
The convicts are: Taphla Mustapha, 45; a driver and member of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Andrew Ukelere, 35; and Anthony Chinemerem, 20., an apprentice.
They were arraigned by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on a two-counts charge bordering on drug trafficking.
They pleaded guilty to the charge when it was read to them
Following their plea of guilty, the prosecutor, Ms E.I Erondu reviewed the facts of the case before the court and tendered several exhibits in support.
She urged the court to proceed and convict the defendants based on their respective pleas, and the evidences presented.
Justice Kehinde Ogundare admitted and marked the evidences and accordingly, convicted the defendants .
After listening to a plea for mercy on behalf of the convicts, the court sentenced the first and second defendants to a term of two years imprisonment or an option of N250,000 fine each.
On counts two, the court sentenced the first and third defendants to one year imprisonment each or an option of N100,000 fine each.
The court held that the terms of imprisonment shall run concurrently but the fine shall be cumulative.
According to the charge, the convicts committed the offence on March 19, at the Lagos-Ibadan expressway
The first and second convicts were said to have trafficked 13.9kg of Tramadol without lawful authority.
Meanwhile, the first and third convicts were said to have trafficked 590 litres of Pentazocine, a narcotics similar to heroine and other psychotropic substances restricted by law.
The offence contravenes the provisions of section 11(b) of the NDLEA Act, Cap N30 Law of the Federation, 2004.