By Jude-Ken Ojinnaka
Justice Akintayo Aluko of a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, has convicted and sentenced a 52 year-old woman, Sanni Rachael for trafficking in 1.254 kilograms of Cannabis Sativa, a banned weed, also known as Indian Hemp.
However, the court ordered the convicted woman to pay a fine of N100, 000 in lieu of a year custodian sentence.
The convicted woman, was brought before the court by the Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for unlawful dealing in the banned weed.
The prosecutor, Ifeoma M. Erondu, told the court that the convict was arrested on June 17, 2023, at Jakande area , Lekki, Lagos.
She also told the court that the prohibited weed weighing 1.254 kilograms was recovered from the convict.
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She told the court that the offence committed by the convict, was contrary to Section 11(C) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap N.30 Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. 2004, and punishable under the same Act.
Upon reading the charge to the convict, she admitted committing the offence and pleaded guilty to the charge.
With the guilty plea of the convict, the prosecutor urged the court to convict and sentence her in accordance with the section of the NDLEA Act for which she was charged with.
But counsel to the convicted woman, Oreofe Ogunleye, in her allocutus, pleaded with the court to tamper justice with mercy in sentencing her client.
Ogunleye while citing plethoras of authorities and circumstances that led her client into the illegal business, told the court that her client was a first time convict who did not have any record of previous conviction.
She therefore urged the court to consider non-custodian sentence for the convicted woman and also urged the court to give an option of fine in lieu of the custodian sentence.
The prosecutor, Erondu corroborated Ogunleye’s pleading and told the court that her agency did not have any record of previous conviction of the convicted woman.
Justice Aluko, after hearing submissions from the counsel, sentenced the woman to a year imprisonment. The judge however ordered her to pay a N100, 000, fine in lieu of the jail-term, while also ordered that the prohibited weed be destroyed if there is no appeal against the judgment after the period stipulated by the law.
Charge Against The Convicted Woman Reads: “That you, Sanni Racheal, adult, female, 52 years old, on or about the 17th day of June 2023 at Jakande area Lekki of Lagos, Lagos state within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, without lawful authority dealt in 1.254kilograms of Cannabis Sativa, a Psychotropic Substance similar to Cocaine, Heroin and LSD and thereby Committed an offence as provided for and punishable under sec 11(C) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap N.30 Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. 2004.