Justice Dehinde Dipeolu of the Federal High Court in Lagos has convicted and sentenced a businessman, Okechukwu Izugha to six months in prison for trafficking in 500 grams of cocaine.
Justice Dipeolu jailed Izugha after he pleaded guilty to a one-count charge of unlawful cocaine dealing brought against him by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
The NDLEA had accused the convict of procuring his wife, Maureen Izugha, to deal in 500 grams of cocaine on January 21, 2025, at 6 Agbebi Street, Ijeshatedo Market Area, Lagos State.
The convict had initially pleaded not guilty to the charges against him, which led his counsel, Dennis Warri, to apply for his bail.
However, Justice Dipeolu refused to grant the bail after the prosecutor, Abu Ibrahim, opposed it.
The judge instead ordered an accelerated hearing of the matter.
However, when the trial resumed on Friday, the convict changed his plea from not guilty to guilty.
Subsequently, the prosecutor urged the court to convict him based on his plea and the evidence presented.
Following the conviction, his lawyer pleaded for leniency, stating that Izugha was a first-time offender who has shown remorse during his incarceration.
The defence lawyer pleaded with the judge to impose a non-custodial sentence on his client instead of a jail term.
After considering the arguments from both parties, Justice Dipeolu sentenced Izugha to six months in prison without the option of a fine.
It will be recalled that Izugha’s wife, Maureen, had previously been convicted by another judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa, who sentenced her to five years in prison or a fine of N2 million.
