Justice Akintayo Aluko of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, yesterday convicted and sentenced a businessman, Arokodare Damil Ebenezer, to seven years’ imprisonment for trafficking 32.24 kilogrammes of loud, a special species of Cannabis sativa, popularly called marijuana.

The judge sentenced Ebenezer, the owner of Damillionz Takeout located at Lekki, Lagos, after he pleaded guilty to a two-count charge of unlawful importation and dealing in the prohibited drug, brought against him by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

The NDLEA prosecutor, Abu Ibrahim, told the court that the convict was arrested on March 10, 2025, at the FedEx Import Warehouse of the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Limited (NAHCO) Import Shed, a Customs Area of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, where he had gone to receive 31.30 kilogrammes of the drug, which he unlawfully imported from the United States of America.

Abu also informed the court that Ebenezer unlawfully dealt in 94 grammes of the same drug on March 24, 2025, at Flat 7, D11, Lekki Gardens, Horizon II Meadow Hall, Lekki, Ikate-Elegushi, Lagos State.

He further explained that the convict’s actions contravened Sections 20(1)(a) and 11(c) and were punishable under Section 20(2)(a) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Cap. N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

The businessman admitted committing the offence and pleaded guilty to the two-count charge when it was read to him. Upon his guilty plea, the prosecutor reviewed the facts of the charge, tendered some exhibits in the matter, and urged the court to convict and sentence him in accordance with the relevant sections of the NDLEA Act.

However, the defence counsel, Chief Benson Ndakara, who led Kate Igbo, pleaded passionately in allocution on behalf of the convict. Ndakara told the court that his client was “a victim of circumstances,” which he said was evident from his statement. He urged the court to show mercy, noting that Ebenezer is a single parent to an eight-year-old son, and requested a non-custodial sentence.

Justice Aluko, after confirming from the prosecutor that the convicted businessman had no prior record of conviction, sentenced him to six years on count one and 12 months on count two.

However, the judge awarded a fine option of N2 million and N300,000 for the two counts, respectively, and ordered that the sentences run concurrently.