A Lagos Federal High Court on Friday convicted and sentenced a freight forwarder, Omoniyi Ajibola Isaac, to a five year-imprisonment, for unlawful export of 27.250 kilograms of cannabis sativa, also called marijuana.
Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa, who presided over the court, handed the 37-year-old the jail terms after he pleaded guilty to a count charge made against him by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
The convicted freight forwarder, who is a father of three, according to the prosecutor, Mr. Augustine Nwagu, was arrested with marijuana on January 11, 2022, during the examination and clearance of a cargo for export at NAHCO Export Shed at Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.
Nwagu told the court that the offence committed by the convict, contravened Section 11(b) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, and punishable under the same act of the law.
The convict admitted to being in possession of marijuana and committing the offence. He pleaded guilty to the charge.
Following his guilty plea, the prosecutor urged the court to convict and sentence him in accordance with the section of the law he was charged with.
But his counsel, Dennis Warri, in allucutor, described the convict as a ‘victim of circumstances’, who was misled by a customer.
He also told the court that his client is a first time offender, and a father of three children, who does not have previous criminal or conviction records.
He therefore pleaded with the court to give his client a non-custodian sentence or an option of fine in lieu of the any jail terms the court may want to give him.
Justice Lewis-Allagoa after hearing the allucutor made by the parties, sentenced the convict to five years imprisonment.
The judge however gave the convict, an option of N500, 000 fine, in lieu of jail terms.
The convict’s charge read: “that you Omoniyi Ajibola Isaac, male, 35 years old; on or about the 11th day of January, 2022 during the examination and clearing of cargo for export at NAHCO Export Shed at Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court without lawful authority exported 27.250 kilograms of cannabis sativa, a narcotic drug similar to cocaine, heroin or LSD and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 11(b) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
