Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court in Lagos has convicted and sentenced a dispatch rider, Adewale Adebayo, to three years in prison for trafficking 3.5 kilogrammes of cannabis sativa, commonly known as Marijuana.
Justice Aneke jailed Adebayo after he pleaded guilty to a one-count charge of drug trafficking brought against him by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), in case number FHC/L/14c/2021.
When he was arraigned in 2021, the convict initially pleaded not guilty.
However, when the case came up for hearing on Monday, the convict indicated his intention to change his plea, which caused the judge to direct that the charge be reread to him.
In response to his plea, the prosecutor, Anthony Okon, tendered documentary evidence and the seized drug supporting his case.
The defence lawyer, Bolanle Kolawole, urged the court to show mercy and consider a less severe sentence by considering a non-custodial option instead of a prison sentence.
Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke, after considering the arguments from both sides and confirming from the prosecutor that Adebayo is a first-time offender with no prior convictions, sentenced him to three years in prison.
The judge also ordered the convict to pay a fine of N1 million instead of serving the jail term.
He further instructed that the bulk of the drug should be destroyed unless an appeal against the judgment is filed.
