By Jude-Ken Ojinnaka
A man, Okafor Ikechukwu McWilliams and his wife Okafor Ifeyinwa Grace were on Wednesday sentenced to 2 years imprisonment each for conspiracy to possess, store and deal in 19.12 Kilogrammes of Methamphetamine a.k.a (Mpkurumiri)
The sentence was passed on the couple by Justice Nicholas Oweibo of a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos after they pleaded guilty to 5-counts charge preferred against them by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA)
However, while sentencing the convicts to prison terms, having found them guilty of the offence as charged, the judge gave an option of fine of N300,000 on each of the 5 counts for each of the convicts. This implies that each convict will pay N1.5 million.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) brought a 5-counts charge dated November 8, 2023 against the convicts.
According to the charge, Okafor Ikechukwu McWilliams and his wife Okafor Ifeyinwa Grace were said to have on or about October 5, 2023 at their residence No 9 Awa Street, Ago Palace Way, Okota Lagos State, without lawful authority, conspired to possess 19.12 Kilogrammes of Methamphetamine (Mpkurumiri), a substance similar to Cocaine, Heroin and LSD.
It was also stated in the charge that the couple on or about same date and place, conspired to deal, store, found in possession and dealt in 19.12 Kilogrammes of Methamphetamine (Mpkurumiri)
After listening to the charge preferred against them, the couple pleaded guilty to all the counts.
In view of the plea of guilty of the defendants, the NDLEA prosecutor A.G. Yuanyam applied for the review of facts of the offence which was granted.
While reviewing the facts, he tendered the items of crime as well as statements of the two defendants which were admitted as exhibits by the court. The prosecutor prayed the court to convict and sentence the couple in line with Section 356(2) of ACJA, 2015.
After going through the evidence before the court and the plea of the couple, Justice Nicholas Oweibo found them guilty and convicted them as charged.
In his allocutus, the defence counsel Chief Benson Ndakara pleaded for leniency on behalf of the convicts.
He submitted that the convicts did not waste the time of the noble court, adding that they are first offenders.
“They are husband and wife with little children, left in the care of their neighbour since their arrest.
“The second defendant is sick with sugar problem.”
After listening to the allocutus, the judge sentenced the two convicts to 2 years imprisonment each or fine of N300,000 on each of the five counts for each convict. That is each convict will pay N1.5 million.
