Lagos, June 11, 2025 (NAN) A Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday convicted and sentenced a 24-year-old man, Emmanuel Chekwube, to seven years imprisonment for drug trafficking.
Justice Lewis Allagoa sentenced the convict after he had pleaded guilty to the four-count charge of drug trafficking.
Allagoa, however, gave the convict an option of a fine of five million naira.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) had arraigned Chekwube on charges of conspiracy, illegal storage of restricted drugs, unlawful use of premises to store banned narcotics, and unlawful dealing in narcotics.He had pleaded guilty to the charges.
Following his plea, the Prosecutor, Ms M. I. Erondu, reviewed the facts of the case and tendered several exhibits before the court, such as a statement of the defendant, a drug analysis form, and a packaging of substance form.
Also tendered were remnants of the narcotics, a request for scientific aid form and a transparent pouch, among others.
The prosecutor then urged the court to convict the defendant based on his plea and the evidence adduced. Consequently, the judge convicted the defendant as charged.
Before the sentence, the defence prayed to the court to tamper with justice with mercy, saying that his client was a first-time offender and that he would turn a new leaf.
Delivering his verdict afterwards, Allagoa sentenced Chekwube to seven years imprisonment on each count, which, he said, would run concurrently. However, he gave the convict an option of a five-million-naira fine.
The charge states that the convict committed the offences on May 7 at Amukoko, Ijora area of Lagos.
He was said to have used the premises to engage in the illegal storage of 56.2 kg of Tramadol Hydrochloride, 1.2 kg Nitrazepam, and 72g of Swinol.
All the substances are said to have been listed in the NDLEA schedule as banned narcotics, thus contravening the provisions of Sections 12 and 14(b) of the NDLEA Act, 2004.