A Federal High Court in Lagos on Monday sentenced 35-year-old Kuburat Ojulari to four months of community service for trafficking cannabis.
Ojulari was arraigned by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on a one-count charge of drug trafficking, to which she pleaded guilty.
In delivering judgment, Justice Musa Kakaki ordered that the sentence be supervised by the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS), adding that Ojulari must undergo counselling during the period. He warned that failure to comply would result in six months’ imprisonment.
Earlier, the prosecutor, Ms Ifeoma Erondu, informed the court that the offence was committed on 24 April at the Ijora area of Lagos, where the convict was apprehended with 500 grammes of cannabis sativa concealed in a black nylon bag.
Erondu explained that cannabis is a restricted narcotic, alongside substances like cocaine and heroin, and that the offence contravenes Section 11(c) of the NDLEA Act, Cap N30, Laws of the Federation, 2004.
Following Ojulari’s guilty plea, the prosecutor reviewed the facts of the case and presented multiple exhibits through NDLEA official Mr Obadiah Tanyishi. Items tendered included a certificate of test analysis, drug analysis form, packaging documentation, a request for scientific aid, the bulk of the seized substance, and the defendant’s statement.
Erondu urged the court to convict the defendant based on her plea and the evidence provided.
In his plea for leniency, defence counsel Mr G.U. Okaka appealed to the court to temper justice with mercy, noting that the convict was a first-time offender and had shown remorse.
(NAN)