Fairly used clothe merchant jailed for trafficking hard drugs

A merchant in fairly used clothes and bags Mr Odeyemu Ademola Adedeji,  popularly called ‘Tokunbo’, was today convicted and sentenced to there years imprison by a Federal High Court, Lagos, for trafficking in 3.870 Kilogrammes of Methamphetamine, a hard drug similar to cocaine and heroine.

The convict, a resident of 1, Lawal Animashaun Street, Igbogbo, Ikorodu, Lagos, was given the jail term after the court pronounced that the prosecution has been able and successfully proved the two counts charge of the offence against him.

The convict was first arraigned before the court sometimes in 2014, in a charge marked FHC/L/174c/14, on two count-charge of importing and exporting the said hard drug in and outside the country.

He was alleged to have on April 20, 2014, imported the drug from the Republic of Benin, and attempted to export same on April 28, 2014, to Nairobi, the capital of Kenya.

NDLEA through his prosecution, Mrs Iwuchukwu Obiageri, had told the court that the offences committed by the convict contravened section 11(a) and 11(b) of the NDLEA Act. Cap. N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

The offences the convict had pleaded not guilty to.

ALSO READ: Naval authorities charge graduating 196 personnel to eschew drugs

However, during the pendency of the charge, the defendant absconded due to his arrest by the NDLEA operatives for involving in other drug-related offences and he is currently being prosecuted by the agency before another judge of the same court.

At the resumed hearing of the charge today, the convict informed the court that he wants to change his plea to guilty, this was granted by the Court.

Following his change of plea, the court called on the prosecutor to review the facts of the charge.

In reviewing the fact of the charge against the convict, the prosecutor, Mrs Iwuchukwu, told the court that the convict brought in the drugs from the republic of Benin and attempted to export it to Nairobi, Kenya.

The prosecutor told the court that the convict was apprehended after he was arrested with the ‘cargo’ at the departure hall of Murtala Muhammad International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, on April 28, 2014.

The prosecutor tendered the ‘cargo’ alongside his statements and laboratory analysis text that confirmed that the ‘cargo’ was banned drug.

After tendering the items, she urged the court to convict and sentence him accordingly.

Following the convict’s change of plea and the submission of the prosecutor, Justice Hassan pronounced the convict guilty as charged and sentenced him to three years imprisonment.

Charges against the convict reads: “that you Odeyemi Ademola Ayodeji Male, Adult, on or about the 20th day of April 2014 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, unlawfully imported 3.870 Kilogrammes of Methamphetamine, a narcotic drug into Nigeria through Seme border and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 11(a) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, Cap N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

“That you Odeyemi Ademola Ayodeji Male, Adult, on or about the 28th day of April 2011 during the outward clearance of Kenya Airways to Nairobi, at the departure ha“ of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, unlawfully exported 3.870 Kilogrammes of Methamphetamine, narcotic drug to Nairobi and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 11(b) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, Cap N30, Law of the Federation of Nigeria 2004”.