24-year-oldman bags 7yrs imprisonment for trafficking on banned drugs

A Federal High Court sitting Lagos, on Wednesday, convicted and sentenced a 24-year-old man, Eze Emmanuel Chekwube, to a term of seven years imprisonment for drug trafficking.

Justice Ambrose Lewis Allagoa sentenced the convict after he pleaded guilty to a four-counts charge of drug trafficking.

The court, however, gave the convict an option of N5 million fine.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) arraigned Chekwube on charges bothering on conspiracy, illegal storage of prohibited drug, unlawful use of premises to store banned narcotics, and unlawful deal in narcotics.

He pleaded guilty to the charge.

Following his plea, the prosecutor, M. I. Erondu Esq. reviewed the facts of the case and tendered several exhibits before the court such as: a statement of the defendant, drug analysis form and packaging of substance form

Also tendered were remnant of the narcotics, request for scientific aid form, transparent pouch amongst others.

The prosecutor, then urged the court to convict the defendant based on his plea, as well as evidences tendered before the court.

Accordingly, the court convicted the defendant as charged.

Before sentence, the defence counsel M.J. Nyiev urged the court to tamper justice with mercy on the convict, as he was a first offender, adding that he will turn a new leaf.

Delivering verdict after the allocutus, the court sentenced the convict to a term of seven years imprisonment on each of the four counts, which he said will run concurrently.

The court, however, gave the convict an option of five million naira fine .

According to the charge, the convict was said to have committed the offence on May 7, at the Amukoko Ijora area of Lagos.

He was said to have used the premises to engage in illegal storage of 56.2 kg Tramadol Hydrochloride, 1.2 kg Nitrazepam, and 72g of Swinol

All substances are said to be listed in the NDLEA schedule as banned narcotics, which contravene the povisions of Sections 12, and 14(b) of the NDLEA Act, 2004.