By Sandra Umeh
A Federal High Court Lagos, has sentenced two men, Tasiu Yahaya and Abdullahi Abbah, to a term of four years imprisonment each, for drug trafficking.
Justice Akintayo Aluko sentenced the convicts on Thursday following their guilty plea to a two-count charge of conspiracy and trafficking 104kg of cannabis sativa also known as hemp.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) had on Oct. 15, arraigned the two convicts.
In proving prima facie case against the convicts, the prosecutor, Mrs Julie Negedu, called a witness Mr Obacha Simon, and tendered pieces of evidence before the court.
The exhibits tendered in court included statements of the convicts, certificate of test analysis; packing of substance form; request for scientific aid form, a large sealed envelope and drug analysis report.
The prosecutor then urged the court to convict the defendants in line with the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015.
The convicts, after their plea, urged the court to tamper justice with mercy.
In his judgment, Justice Aluko said that he had considered the plea of allocutus made on behalf of the convicts.
“I have also considered the provisions of the relevant sections of the NDLEA Act under which the convicts were charged.
“”I have taken into account the quantity of the substance which is in large commercial quantity.
“The fact that the convicts are first-time offenders and the decision to admit their guilt have been looked into.
“The impact of drug business on the national status, integrity of the country and on the state of health of Nigerians coupled with the effect on the crime rate in the country have been taken Into account.
“I am of the view that the interest of justice which is to rid the society of crime must be served.
“For the reason above, each of the convict is sentenced to three years imprisonment on count one; each of the convicts is sentenced to four years imprisonment on count two,” he held.
According to the Judge, the two counts shall run concurrently.
He ordered that the exhibits be returned to the NDLEA, for destruction, after the expiration of the statutory period of appeal. (NAN)
