Justice Musa Kakaki of the Federal High Court Lagos today convicted and sentenced two drug traffickers Olawale Omotere and Tunde Ayinla to one year imprisonment each or a fine of N7 million in lieu of custodian sentence for trafficking 625 kilograms of Cannabis Sativa
In addition to the sentence, Justice Kakaki also ordered the final forfeiture of a landed property situate at Plot No. 28, Ola Street, Ijesha, Surulere Local Government Area, Lagos State, used for storage, concealment and distribution of of Cannabis Sativa.
Other items ordered to be forfeited to the Federal Government by the defendants includes:
. A blue Ford Bus with Reg. No. LSR 355 JE, Chassis No. 1FMCA11U0RZA00344.
. A Red Toyota Corolla with Reg. No. AKD 146 JS, Chassis No. 2TBR32E75C897932, Ash coloured DAF Truck with Reg. No. EKY 430 YK, Chassis No. XLRAG75RCOE450570, White Toyota Hiace Bus with Reg. No. AGL 455 YJ, Chassis No. JT121JK1100019569 and a Haojue Ash-coloured Motorcycle.
When the matter came up for trial today, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA prosecutor Mr Buhari Abdulahi informed Justice Musa Kakaki of a pending charge and urged the court to order that the charge be read so that the defendants can take thier plea.
The charge was then read and the defendants pleaded guilty to same.
Following the guilty plea of the defendants the prosecutor, Mr Buhari Abdulahi reviewed the facts of the case by tendering relevant exhibits and documents after which he urged the court to convict the defendants as charged.
Justice Kakaki after listening to the prosecutor submission and perusing the exhibits and documents tendered convicted Olawale Omotere and Tunde Ayinla
Consequent upon the conviction of the defendants thier counsel, Chief Benson Ndakara made allocutus on their behalf.
In his allocutus Ndakara pleaded for leniency on their behalf, he submitted that the defendants are first time offenders who did not waste the precious time of the court
He added that the defendants have been very remorseful since their predicament.
Ndakara pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy, saying the convicts have promised to be good citizens of the country if given another opportunity.
He urged the court to grant an option of fine instead of custodian sentence.
Before passing sentence, Justice Kakaki asked the prosecutor if there is any previous record of conviction of the convicts, Abdulahi in his reply to the judge’s question told the court that NDLEA has no record of previous conviction of the convicts.
Abdulahi however, urged the court to impose sentences or fines that would serve as deterent to other would-be-drug traffickers in view of the prevalence of the crime and the negative effect on Nigerians and the country’s image.
Abdulahi also urged the judge to make a final order of forfeiture of the items used as instrumentality of committing the offence.
This items includes a landed property situate at Plot No. 28, Ola Street, Ijesha, Surulere Local Government Area, Lagos State, used for storage, concealment, dealing and distribution of the 625 kilograms of Cannabis Sativa.
. A blue Ford Bus with Reg. No. LSR 355 JE, Chassis No. 1FMCA11U0RZA00344.
. A Red Toyota Corolla with Reg. No. AKD 146 JS, Chassis No. 2TBR32E75C897932.
. Ash DAF Truck with Reg. No. EKY 430 YK, Chassis No. XLRAG75RCOE450570.
. White Toyota Hiace Bus with Reg. No. AGL 455 YJ, Chassis No. JT121JK1100019569.
. Haojue Ash-coloured Motorcycle.
Justice Kakaki after listening to the prosecutor and the defence counsel’s allocutus, sentenced the defendants to one year imprisonment on each of the two counts charge or in the alternative, the payment of N7 million fine on each of the charges.
Justice Kakaki, however, ordered that the sentence and fine should run concurrently.
On the plea of the prosecutor for the final forfeiture of the properties used in committing the crime, Justice Kakaki made an order for the final forfeiture of the landed property and vehicles used in committing the crime.
The two counts charge against the defendant reads:
Count 1
That you Olawale Omotere “M” 54 years old and Tunde Ayinla 47 old on or about the 18th day of September, 2025, at Itire Area of ljesha, Lagos State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable court, did conspire to transport 625 kilograms of Cannabis Sativa, a Narcotic Drug similar to Cocaine, LSD and Heroin using a Green Ford Bus with Registration Number LRS-355-JE and a Toyota Corolla Car with Registration Number AKD-146-JS respectively and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 14(b) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, Cap N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
Count 2
That you Olawale Omotere “M” 54 years old and Tunde Ayinla 47 old on or about the 18th day of September, 2025, at Itire Area of ljesha, Lagos State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, without lawful authority engaged for the purpose of delivering 625 Kilograms of Cannabis Sativa, a Narcotic Drug similar to Cocaine, LSD and Heroin using a Green Ford Bus with Registration Number LRS-355-JE and a Toyota Corolla Car with Registration Number AKD-146-JS respectively and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 20 (1) (a) and punishable under Section 20 (2) (a) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, Cap N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
