The Federal High Court in Lagos on Thursday sentenced a 27-year-old man, Nurudeen Olalekan, to two years imprisonment for trafficking 17.1 grammes of cocaine.
The court also sentenced an unemployed man, Taiwo Musibau, to 18 months imprisonment for trafficking in 550 grammes of cannabis sativa.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) arraigned them for separate drug trafficking charges before Justice Saliu Saidu.
Olalekan pleaded guilty to the charge and begged the court to temper justice with mercy, saying that he would not commit crime again.
After his plea, the prosecutor, Mr Jeremiah Aernan, reviewed the facts of the case and tendered some exhibits, including the convict’s written statement.
Justice Saidu found the accused guilty of the offence as charged and convicted him.
In his sentence, the judge noted the negative effects of drug trafficking in the society and warned the convict to desist from crime.
“The convict is hereby sentenced to a term of two years imprisonment which will begin to run from the date of his arrest,” he said
The court also ordered the drug exhibits to be disposed of by the prosecution if there is no appeal.
The convict allegedly committed the offence on April 28.
The prosecutor said that the convict was arrested at Bonny way motor park in Oyingbo, Ebute Meta, Lagos, with quantities of the restricted narcotics, weighing 17.1 grammes.
The offence contravened the Sections 11 (a) of the NDLEA Act, Cap N30 Laws of the Federation 2004.
NDLEA charged Musibau, 40, on a count charge of drug trafficking, to which he pleaded guilty.
Justice Saidu found the accused guilty of the offence as charged and convicted him.
He sentenced Musibau to a term of one and half year’s imprisonment, beginning from the date of his arrest.
The prosecution had told the court that the convict was arrested on April 6 at Ipaja Road in Agege, near Lagos with 550 grammes of cannabis.
According to the NDLEA, Indian hemp is a restricted narcotic, similar to cocaine and heroin, which are all restricted by the provisions of the law.
The offence contravenes the provisions of Sections 11 (c) of the NDLEA Act, Cap. N30, Laws of the Federation, 2004.
Before his sentence, the convict pleaded with the judge to temper justice with mercy.