Two drug traffickers sentenced to six years imprisonment or N2m fine each over 247kg of cannabis sativa
By Jude-Ken Ojinnaka
A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has sentenced two men Chukwuma Kennedy 49 and Fidelis Otiba 50 to six years imprisonment each or in the alternative, payment of N2 million as fine each in lieu of imprisonment.
Justice Nicholas Oweibo gave the verdict following the arraignment of two convicts before his court.
In the three counts charge, Fidelis Otiba, a 49 years old and Chukwume Kennedy 50 years old were alleged to have on or about the 12th day of July 2023, along Isolo-Mushin road, Lagos State without lawful authority conspired with one another to transport 247 kilograms of Cannabis Sativa, a Psychotropic Substance similar to Cocaine, Heroin and LSD,
The offence committed is said to be contrary to and punishable under Section 14(b) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency ACT Cap N.30 Laws of the Federation Of Nigeria 2004 (as amended).
When the matter came up for arraignment, the prosecutor from the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Ifeoma M. Erondu, told the court that the prosecution has a three count charge and pleaded with the court to allow the charge to be read to the defendants for them to take their plea.
Following the reading of the charge to the defendants and their guilty plea , the prosecutor told Justice Oweibo that based on the guilty plea of the defendants, the prosecution is ready to proceed with the review of facts of the case.
Consequently, the prosecutor reviewed the facts of the case by tendering all the exhibits recovered from the defendants as well as thier extra-judicial statements which were admitted in evidence by the court.
After the review, the prosecutor asked the court to convict the defendants as charged. Justice Oweibo in a short ruling convicted the defendants.
Following the conviction, counsel to the defendants, Chief Benson Ndakara in his allocutus pleaded with the court to temper Justice with mercy, adding that the convicts are first time offenders who were lured into the crime without realizing the consequence.
Ndakara added that the convicts have shown evidence of being remorseful and have promised never to be involved in drug trafficking.
Sentencing the convicts, Justice Oweibo said he has taken into consideration the allocutus of their counsel, the quantity of the drug involved and the harm their actions has caused and is causing the nation.
He thereafter sentenced them to two years improvement on each of the three counts to run concurrently and in the alternative the payment of N2 million fine each.
The charge against the defendants reads: COUNT 1 “That you, Fidelis Otiba, adult, Male, 49 years old Chukwume Kennedy adult, Male, 50 years old on or about the 12” day of July 2023, along Isolo-Mushin road, Lagos state within the jurisdiction of the Honourable Court, without lawful authority conspired with one another and others at large to transport 247kHtograms of Cannabis Sativa, a Psychotropic Substance similar to Cocaine, Heroin and LSD and thereby Committed an offence contrary to and punishable under sec. 14(b) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency ACT Cap N.30 Laws of the Federal Republic Of Nigeria 2004 (as amended).
COUNT 2: That you, Fidelis Otiba, adult, Male, 49 years old Chukwuma Kennedy, adult, Male, 50 years old on or about the 12° day of July 2023, along Isolo-Mushin road, Lagos state within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, without lawful authority engage in the transportation of 247 kilograms of Cannabis Sativa, a Psychotropic Substance similar to Cocaine, Heroin and LSD and thereby Committed an offence contrary to and punishable under sec. 14(b) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency ACT Cap N.30 Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 2004
COUNT 3: That you, Fidelis Otiba, adult, Male, 49 years old, on or about the 12° . day of July, 2023, along Isolo-Mushin road, Lagos state within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, without lawful authority dealt in 247 kilograms of Cannabis Sativa, a Psychotropic substance similar to Cocaine, Heroin and LSD, thereby committed an offence contrary to and under sec. 14(b) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency ACT Cap N.30 Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 2004.