Justice Akintayo Aluko of a Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, has convicted and sentenced an Ex-convict drug dealer, Adelakun Ilelabayo Oluade, alongside Nruama Chinemelum Precious, to 18 years imprisonment, for illegal possession of 8.49 kilograms of Cocaine and 28.8 kilograms of Cannabis Sativa, popularly called Indian Hemp.
The judge decided after the convicts pleaded guilty to six counts of conspiracy, unlawful possession and dealing in the banned drug.
While the convicts were being arraigned, the prosecutor, Umar Hussain, informed the judge that the duo were apprehended with the prohibited drugs on August 4, 2023, at the Atlantic Ocean Nominee Estate along Lekki-Epe Express Way, Lagos.
Umar further hinted to the judge that while the convicts were arrested with 8.49 kilograms of Cocaine and 10.3 kilograms of Cannabis Sativa, the first convict, Nruama Chinemelum Precious, was arrested with 18.5 kilograms of Cannabis sativa, at Flat Alb/A2, House 7A, Road 7, Lagra Estate, Eti-Osa, off Lekki-Epe Express Way, Lagos.
The prosecutor informed the trial judge that the illegal acts of the convicts contravened Sections 14 (b),19 and 11(c) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act CAP N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 (As amended), and punishable under the same Act.
Umar further notified the court that the second convict, Adelakun Ilelabayo Oluade, had once been arrested and prosecuted by the NDLEA and convicted and sentenced to 2 years imprisonment by Justice Saliu Saidu (now retired), for unlawful dealing and possession of the prohibited drugs.
Therefore, the prosecutor prayed the judge to convict and sentence the drug dealers in accordance with the sections of the NDLEA Acts that they were charged with.
But the convicts' lawyer, Uche Okoronkwo, pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy in sentencing his clients.
While pleading for mercy, Okoronkwo begged Justice Aluko to consider the early guilty plea of his clients, as a sign of remorse, adding that his clients have vowed not to go back to crime any more.
The defence lawyer equally urged the court to consider an option of a fine in lieu of the custodian sentence.
Handing down his sentence, Justice Aluko sent the first convict, Uruama Chinemelum Precious, to three years imprisonment with an option of fine in the sum of N400,000.00 on each of the six counts.
Justice Aluko also ordered that the jail term shall run concurrently, while the fine option will run consecutively.
The judge further ordered that the convict, if elected to serve the jail terms, will spend three years in prison, but if not, he will pay the sum of N2.4 million.
Justice Aluko also directed the convict to perform a month of community service of an hour daily, at Eti-osa Local Government Area of Lagos State.
The trial judge, however, sentenced the convict, Adelakun Ilelabayo Oluade, to the same jail term but without an option of fine, on the ground that he had earlier been convicted for a similar offence.
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