A 35 year-old man, Muhammad Nuruddeen, was today convicted and sentenced to nine months imprisonment, for dealing in 6.5 kilograms of Cannabis Sativa, a.k.a. marijuana, by a Lagos Federal High Court.
Muhammed, a resident of Sakpo Zongo area of Badagry, was given the jail-term by Justice Abimbola Awogboro, after he pleaded guilty to the charge of preferred against him by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
The convict, according to the prosecutor, Mr. Femi Adebayo, was arrested with the drug on November 24, 2022, at his residence, where he was selling the prohibited weed.
Adebayo told the court that the convict’s offence, contravened Section 11(c) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap N30 laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
The convict admitted committing the offence and pleaded guilty to the charge.
Following his guilty plea, the prosecutor asked to sentence him in accordance with the law he was charged with.
In pleading for mercy, his lawyer, B. Onifade, urged the court to be lenient with his client, as he is a first time offender, and that he did not waste the precious time of court to plea guilty to the charge.
He also told the court that his client has turned a new leaf and became remorseful since he was arrested on November 24, 2022.
But the convict, to the surprise court and his lawyer, told the court that he was once arrested by the police for selling the banned weeds. Though, he vowed not to engage in the act any longer.
Justice Awogboro in her judgment, held that there are mitigating factors not to have mercy on the convict.
One of the mitigating factors according to the judge, was that the drug which he was arrested with was of commercial quantity and that the convict told the court that he had earlier been arrested.
Consequently, the judge sentenced the convict to nine months imprisonment, from the date of his arrested.
Charge Against The Convict Reads: “that you Muhammad Nuruddeen, Male, adult, 35 years old, Nigerian, of Sakpo Zongo, Badagry, Lagos state, on or about 24th day of November, 2022, at Sakpo Zongo, Badagry, Lagos state, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, without lawful authority dealt in 6.5Kgs of marijuana otherwise known as “Cannabis Sativa” a Narcotic Drug Similar to Cocaine, Heroin, LSD by which act you committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 11C of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap N30 laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.”
