ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos State has sentenced one Oladitan Olufunmilayo, 35, to 15 years imprisonment for trafficking banned substances.
After the convict pleaded guilty to five counts of trafficking in banned drugs preferred against her by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Justice Daniel Osiagor handed down the jail term on Tuesday, 25 April, 2023.
Augustine Nwagu, the NDLEA prosecutor, told the court that the convict was arrested with the prohibited drugs on 3 November, 2022, at Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc Export Shed at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, during the examination and clearing of cargo to Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Nwagu said the drugs found on the convict when she was arrested included seven grams of Cocaine; 11 grams of Methamphetamine; 52 grams of Cannabis Sativa; 47 grams of Tramadol 225mg and 106 grams of Rohypnol.
The prosecutor noted that the offences committed contravened Sections 11(b) and 20(1)(a) of the NDLEA Act Cap N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004; and are punishable under Section 20(2)(a) of the same Act.
When the convict was arraigned, she pleaded guilty; the prosecutor urged the court to convict and sentence her according to the sections of the laws she was charged with.
However, her counsel, Dennis Warri, pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy in sentencing her, adding that his client is a first-time offender.
Justice Osiagor sentenced the convict to three years imprisonment in each, with an option of N350, 000, and one week on each of the counts.
The judge, however, ordered that the jail term should run concurrently.