Drug Traffickers Bag 8-year Jail Terms For Smuggling 4.25kg Of Indian Hemp

Justice Nicholas Oweibo of the Federal High Court in Lagos has jailed two drug traffickers, Obinna Osita and Sunday Ohiagu for attempting to smuggle 4.25 kilograms of Cannabis Sativa popularly called Indian Hemp to Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Justice Oweibo sent Osita and Ohiagu to prison after they both pleaded guilty to the allegations of conspiracy, unlawful exportation and gratification, brought against them by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

While Osita was sentenced to four years imprisonment each on the charge of conspiracy and the unlawful export of the banned substance, his co-convicts, Ohiagu was jailed for four years for the offence of conspiracy and six months for the offence of gratification.

The NDLEA prosecutor, Abu Ibrahim had earlier told the court that the convicts were arrested with 4.25 kilograms of Cannabis Sativa substance, on August 23, 2022, at the entrance gate of the New Terminal Building of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, which attempting to smuggle the drug to Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Ibrahim also informed the judge that the second convict, during his arrest, offered financial gratification to the agency’s operatives.

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The prosecutor insisted that the offences violate sections 14 (b); 11 (b) and 49 (a)of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Cap. N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

The two convicts pleaded guilty to the charges when it was read to them.

Based on their guilty pleas, Ibrahim urged the court to sentence the convicts by the sections of the law under which they were charged.

In his judgment, Justice Oweibo sentenced the convicts as charged, while ordering that the jail terms shall run concurrently.

The judge, however, ordered the first convict to pay the sum of N500, 000 on each of the two and the second convict to pay the total sum of N510, 000, instead of the jail terms.