Justice Ambrose Lewis- Alagoa of the Federal High Court, Lagos today sentence a drug trafficker Adekunle Taoheed Adeyemi to three years imprisonment for unlawful importation of 68.30 kilogrammes of Canadian Sativa.
The judge while imposing the sentence also ordered the convict to pay the sum of N2 million in lieu of imprisonment and also serve six months community service to be supervised by the Nigerian Correctional Centre.
Justice Alagoa made the pronouncement while sentencing Adekunle Taoheed Adeyemi after he pleaded guilty to a one count charge of unlawful importation of the said banned substance.
According to the one count charge filed by counsel to the National Drug Law Enforce Agency, NDLEA, Mrs Bibiana Eze, the convict (Adekunle Taoheed Adeyemi) was alleged to have on or about the 18th day of February 2025 during the inward clearance of passengers aboard Ethiopian Airlines flight from Toronto, Canada via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia at the E-Arrivel Hall of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Ikeja-Lagos without lawful authority imported 69.30kilograms Cannabis Sativa otherwise known as “Canada loud, a Narcotic Drug, similar to Cocaine, LSD, Heroin and you thereby committed an act which Is an offence contrary to and punishable under section 11 (a) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Cap. N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
When the matter came up for arraignment today, the prosecutor told Justice Alagoa that NDLEA has a one count charge pending before the court and urges the court to order that the charge be read so that the defendant can take his plea.
The charge was then read and Adeyemi pleaded guilty to same .
Following his guilty plea, the prosecutor informed the court of her readiness to review the facts of the case.
While reviewing the fact, Eze tendered relevant exhibits, bulk of drug, the extra-judicial statement of the defendant among others. She then urged the court to convict the defendant as charged.
Justice Alagoa after examining the submission of the prosecutor, the exhibits tendered , convicted the drug trafficker
Following the conviction , counsel to the convict Chief Benson Ndakara made allocutus on behalf of the convict.
In his allocutus, Chief Benson Ndakera pleaded for mercy on behalf of the convict. He said the convict is a first time offender who has no record of previous crime.
Ndakara also urges the court to give an option of fine instead of custodian Sentence.
The trial judge after listening to the convict’s counsel, sentence the convict to three years imprisonment or a fine of N2 million .
The judge also imposed a six months community service.
The charge against the defendants reads: Count 1 That you Adekunle Taoheed Adeyem! Male, Adult on or about the 18″ February 2025 during the inward clearance of passengers aboard Ethiopian Airlines flight from Toronto, Canada via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia at the E-Arrivel Hall of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Ikeja-Lagos without lawful authority imported 69.30kilograms Cannabis Sativa otherwise known as “Canada loud, a Narcotic Drug, similar to Cocaine, LSD, Heroin and you thereby committed an act which Is en offence contrary to and punishable under section 11 (a) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Cap. N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
