Man To Spend 3 Years In Prison For Selling Marijuana To Students

Man To Spend 3 Years In Prison For Selling Marijuana To Students

Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday sentenced a 38 years old man, Tobere Wilfred Warri to three years imprisonment for dealing in 1.5 kilograms of Cannabis Sativa, popularly called Marijuana.

The convict was arraigned before the court by the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on a on court charge.

According to the prosecutor, Orji Kalu, Warri was arrested on February 5, 2013, at the Kegite Shrine of the University of Lagos, UNILAG, by the institution's security agents, who later handed him over to the men of NDLEA.

The lawyer also informed the court that the convict, during his arrest did not claim to be student of the institution, but said he normally came to the shrine to sell the 'forbidden weed' to his patrons.

Justice Abang in his judgement after a trial that last one year and 11 months found the convict guilty of the charge.

The court ordered that the term of sentence will commence from February 5, 2013, when the convict have been in custody.

The Judge also ordered that the drugs seized from the convict which was tendered as exhibit be return to the NDLEA for destruction.

In a related development, Justice Saliu Saidu of the same court, sentenced a 22 year-old man, Toyosi Joseph, to one year imprisonment, for dealing in four kilograms of Cannabis Sativa.

Joseph, who was arrested by the men of NDLEA on August 27, 2014, at Orile-Oshodi, Lagos, with the drug, pleaded guilty to the one count charge filed against him.
  
The amended charge against the convict reads; "that you Toyosi Joseph 22, on or about 27th day of August, 2014, at Orile-Oshodi, (in front of central mosque) area of Lagos state, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court without lawful authority, dealt in 4 kilograms of Cannabis Sativa, (otherwise known as marijuana), a narcotic similar to Cocaine, heroin and LSD, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section b11(c) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, Cap N30, laws of he Federation of Nigeria, 2004."

Following the plea of the accused, the prosecutor, J. I. Aernan, presented  the fact of the case to the court and he was consequently convicted as charged.

Justice Seidu, while in sentencing the convict held that, "considering the age of the convict, and having been in the custody since August 27, when he was arrested, he is hereby sentence to one year imprisonment."

The judge also ordered that the exhibit recovered from the convict by return to the the anti-drug agency for destruction.