Justice Deinde Dipeolu of the Federal High Court in Lagos has convicted and sentenced a trader, Segun Olorunjeda, to three months of community service for dealing in 500 grams of marijuana.
Justice Dipeolu ordered Olorunjeda to perform community service at the office of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) after pleading guilty to a one-count charge of dealing in illicit drugs brought against him by the agency.
The prosecutor, Lambert Nor, informed the court that the convict was arrested with 500 grams of the illegal substance on November 11, 2024, at Freedom Way, Lekki, Lagos.
Nor explained that the convict’s actions violated Section 11(c) of the NDLEA Act Cap N30, 2004.
After Olorunjeda pleaded guilty, his lawyer, Bolanle Kolawole, highlighted several mitigating factors in favour of her client and requested a non-custodial sentence from the court.
Justice Dipeolu, after considering the lawyer’s submissions and confirming with the prosecutor that the convict was a first-time offender with no previous criminal record, sentenced him to three months of community service.
The judge specified that Olorunjeda must perform his community service at the NDLEA’s office, with agency officers supervising his work during this time.