Man, 23, gets 11 months in prison for illicit drug trafficking

A Federal High Court in Ibadan on Wednesday sentenced a 23 year-old drug trafficker, Isiaka Musa, to a total of 22 months in prison for illicit drug trafficking.

Musa was caught with 206gm of Cannabis and 450gm of Cannabis seeds.

Delivering judgment, Justice N.E. Maha said besides the convict’s guilty plea and the overwhelming evidence tendered by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the Musa was hereby sentenced accordingly.

Maha said that she took cognizance of the convict’s plea for mercy, being a first time offender and the fact that he did not waste precious time of the court to reduce his sentence.

READ ALSO:Tinubu reshuffles cabinet, reassigns 10 ministers

“You don’t have any business dealing in illicit drugs even if you don’t have a job.

“Note that if you are found around that scene where you were arrested again and brought to the court, you are gone.

“However, to serve as a warning to others, Musa is sentenced to 11 months in prison for each of the two offenses.

“However, sentencing shall run concurrently,” the judge said.

The convict, who had no legal representation, had pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy, noting that he went into the crime because he was jobless.

Earlier, the NDLEA prosecutor in Oyo State, Mr, Daniel Otunla, told the court that Musa was arraigned on a two-count charge bordering on unlawful dealing and possession of Narcotic.

Otunla added that the convict committed the crime on March 26 at Akobo area of Ibadan.

According to the prosecutor, the NDLEA operatives received intelligence reports from concerned Nigerians that Musa was a drug trafficker and was caught in possession of the said exhibits.

READ ALSO:CDS mourns five Air Force personnel who died in car crash

He said that the offense contravened Section 11 (C) and 19 of the NDLEA Act, Cap n30, Law of the federation, 2004.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the above stated sections prescribe a maximum of life imprisonment for anyone convicted.