2 bag 7 years imprisonment for dealing in cocaine, marijuana

A welder, Shola Adeitan (32), and a scavenger, Bello Adam (37), were on Tuesday sentenced to five and two years’ imprisonment, respectively, for dealing in cocaine and marijuana.

Justice Mohammed Idris convicted and sentenced the two men after they pleaded guilty to the charges of dealing in the banned substances, made against them by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

The men who were arraigned before the court separately were arrested at different places, dates and time in Lagos with the banned substances.

The first convict, Shola was arrested on April 18, 2016, at Aguda area of Surulere, with eight grammes of cocaine while the second convict, Bello, was arrested on April 13, 2016, at Eleganza Plaza, Apapa, with 700 grammes of marijuana.

After pronouncing the accused guilty as charged, the convicts urged the court to temper justice with merry in sentencing them.

The first convict, Shola, a father of one, informed the court that he started in selling cocaine when his welding business was not doing well, adding that he was introduced to drug business by a friend.

He promised not to go back to the illicit act if granted forgiveness and mercy.

The second convict, Bello, a scavenger, and an indigene of Kaduna State, said he started smoking hemp to quell the stench emitting from the waste. He however stated that he started selling it to add to what he was realising from the scavenging job.

He equally pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy in sentencing him, promising not to go back to the crime if set free.

But the presiding judge, Justice Idris, sentenced the welder, to five years imprisonment while the scavenger, was given two imprisonment.