A Federal High Court in Lagos has convicted and sentenced a 30-year-old man, Omonile Akinbaye, to a term of 12 months in the correctional service for drug trafficking.
After the conviction, Mr Akinbaye incoherently told the court, “No send me to jail, allow me to go to my house.”
The defendant was arraigned before Justice Friday Ogazi on a one-count charge of unlawful dealing in hemp.
Mr Akinbaye, who had no legal representation, pleaded guilty to the charge.
Following his plea, the prosecutor, Juliana Negedu, called a witness, Benjamin Nketah, an operative of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), to give evidence.
The witness told the court that he works as a central exhibit keeper under the Lagos command of the NDLEA, where the defendant was brought before him on October 18, 2023, with the seized narcotics.
He told the court that the requisite analysis was conducted on the substance, which tested positive for cannabis sativa, also known as hemp, weighing 341g.
The prosecutor also tendered several documents before the court, such as a drug analysis form, a request for scientific aid form, and a packing of substance form.
Other documents tendered included the bulk of the narcotics, drug analysis report and statement of the defendant.
She urged the court to proceed and convict the defendant based on the evidence adduced.
The court convicted the defendant as charged.
Before the sentence, the court asked the convict if he had any reason why the court should not send him to jail.
In response, the convict, who had been making “uncoordinated” statements in court, said, “No, send me to that place; allow me to go to my house.”
The convict also told the court that he owned a vehicle that he personally drives, but that he also traded on “smoke” as support.
He said, “I get motor wey be my own, but I dey sell smoke also. If this one no work, then that one go work,” he said.