..Fixes Sentencing for September 2

A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has convicted a 40-year-old mother of two, Helen Ese Idiji, and a 53-year-old landlady, Sa’adullah Rashidat, for dealing in and warehousing 28.8 kilograms of cannabis sativa, popularly known as marijuana.

Trial judge, Justice Friday Ogazi, handed down the conviction after both defendants pleaded guilty to charges filed against them by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

The prosecution, led by Juliana Negedu, told the court that the defendants were arrested on June 25, 2025, at No. 15 Olumoko Street, Amukoko, Lagos, a property belonging to the second defendant, where the illicit substance was stored. The charge was marked FHC/L/CR/544/2026.

Idiji was arraigned on a two-count charge bordering on conspiracy and unlawful dealing in the banned substance, while Rashidat faced similar counts relating to conspiracy and storage of the drug.

According to the prosecutor, the offences contravene Sections 14(b), 11(c), and 12 of the NDLEA Act, Cap N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, and are punishable under the same law.

Upon their guilty plea, the prosecution called an exhibit keeper, Ogah Aliyu Mohammed, who tendered the recovered drugs and other materials, which were admitted in evidence without objection.

Negedu subsequently urged the court to convict the defendants in line with their plea and the provisions of Section 274(2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015.

In his allocutus, defence counsel, Dennis Warri, appealed for leniency, describing the defendants as first-time offenders with no prior criminal records.

He told the court that they had become remorseful and acknowledged that hardship could not justify criminal conduct.

Warri further prayed the court to consider a non-custodial sentence pursuant to Sections 311(2)(c) and 416(k) of the ACJA, 2015.
After confirming from the prosecution that the defendants had no previous convictions.

Justice Ogazi convicted them accordingly and ordered their remand at a Nigerian Correctional Service facility.

The court adjourned the matter to September 2, 2026, for sentencing.