Justice Nicholas Oweibo of a Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, on Wednesday, sentenced a man, Mr Okafor Ikechukwu McWilliams, and his wife, Okafor Ifeyinwa Grace to two years imprisonment for their involvement in unlawful dealing in 19.12 kilograms of Methamphetamine, a prohibited drug.
Justice Oweibo arrived at the sentencing after the couple, who reside at 9, Awa Street, Ago-Palace Way, Okota, Lagos State, pleaded guilty to five count-charge of conspiracy, unlawful dealing and unlawful possession of the banned drug.
The couple were arraigned by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
According to the prosecutor, Mr A. G. Yaunyam, the jailed couple got involved in the crime on October 5, 2023, at their residence, 9, Awa Street, Ago-Palace Way, Okota, Lagos.
Yaunyam insisted that the crime contravened Sections 14, 19 and 11(c) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, Cap N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 (as amended), and was punishable under the same Act.
But the duo pleaded guilty to the charge as made against them by the NDLEA.
Consequently, the prosecutor urged Justice Oweibo to sentence them in accordance with the sections of the NDLEA Act they were charged with.
But the couple's lawyer, Chief Benson Ndakara, pleaded with the court to be lenient with his clients and to temper justice with mercy in sentencing them.
Ndakara, while citing a plethora of authorities, hinted to the judge that his clients are first-time convicts, who did not have previous conviction records.
He, therefore, urged the court to give his clients a non-custodial sentence or a fine option.
Sending the couple to jail, Justice Oweibo ordered each of the convicts to pay the sum of N300,000,000 as a fine option on each of the counts, totalling N1.5 million each.
Count One and five against the convicts read: "That you, Okafor Ikechukwu McWilliams, Adult, Male, Nigerian citizen and you Okafor Ifeyinwa Grace, Adult, Female, Nigerian citizen, on or about 5th day of October 2023, at No 9, Awa Street (your residence), Ago Palace Way, Okota, Lagos State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, without lawful authority, conspired to possess 19.12 kilograms of Methamphetamine (Mpurummiri), a substance similar to Cocaine, Heroin, and LSD, and both of you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 14 of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, Cap N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 (as amended).
“That you, Okafor Ikechukwu McWilliams, Adult, male, Nigerian citizen and you Okafor Ifeyinwa Grace, Adult, Female, Nigerian citizen, on or about the 5th day of October 2023, at No. 9 Awa Street (your residence), Ago Palace Way, Okota, Lagos State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, without lawful authority, dealt in 19.12 kilograms of Methamphetamine (Mpurummiri), a substance similar to Cocaine, Heroin and LSD, and both of you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 11(c) of the National Drug Law enforcement Agency Act, Cap N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 (as amended).”
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