From Lateef Dada, Osogbo
Justice Mashkur Salisu of a Federal High Court sitting in Osogbo, Osun State, has sentenced one Olawale Ibrahim to two years imprisonment for unlawfully possessing 10.974 kilograms of cannabis sativa.
A charge sheet obtained by our correspondent showed that Ibrahim was convicted on Thursday having pleaded guilty to the two count charges of unlawful possession and aiding, pressed against him by the Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) prosecutor, Olufemi Ijimakin.
The charge reads: “That you Olawale Ibrahim, male, adult, Nigerian on or about the 1st day of January 2024 at Osogbo, Osun State within the territorial jurisdiction of the Honourable Court without lawful knowingly had in your possession 10.974 kilograms of Cannabis Sativa, a narcotic drug similar to Cocaine, LSD, heroin, etc and thereby committed an offense contrary to and punishable under Section 19 of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, Carp N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
“That you Olawale Ibrahim, male, adult, Nigerian on or about the 1st day of January 2024 at Osogbo, Osun State within the territorial jurisdiction of this Honourable Court without lawful knowingly took delivery of 10.974 kilograms of Cannabis Sativa, a narcotic drug similar to Cocaine, LSD, heroin, etc and thereby committed on offense contrary to and punishable under Section 11 (c) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, Carp N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.”
Having admitted guilty, his counsel, Alfred Adegoke, prayed the court to be merciful with him, saying “The convict is a responsible family man and a victim of circumstances.
“I am appealing to the Honourable Court to be lenient to the convict, he is very remorseful and he has learned his lessons in this case. He is also a first-time offender,” Adegoke said.
Crying profusely, the convict said “My children have not been going to school due to this and my family is suffering. I am pleading to My Lord to have mercy on me and my family. My Health is
also affected since the incidence of this case.”
In his judgment, Justice Salisu said, “I have considered the plea of leniency by the convict, the fact that he is a first-time offender with no previous record, and do not waste the precious time of the Court. He also is a family man with large defendants, mostly underage. Consequently, given the provision of Sections 416(2) and 460(4) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015, I hereby sentence you Olawale Ibrahim to two years of Imprisonment with an option of N500,000 in the first count and three months imprisonment in count 2 of the charge.
“I also further order for the destruction of exhibit ‘D’ by the authorities of the NDLEA, Under Section 334(2) of ACJA 2015, while Exhibit I be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria,” the judge said.