By Emma Njoku
A 25-year-old lady, Chioma Okocha, and five men: Ndubuisi John, Haruna Aliyu, Saddam Abdullahi, Bashir Usman, and Usman Ibrahim, have been sentenced to a total of 141 years imprisonment for trafficking in cocaine and cannabis sativa by Federal High Courts sitting in Benin, Edo and Abeokuta, Ogun state, respectively.
Director, Media and Advocacy, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Mr. Femi Babafemi, in a statement, yesterday, said Okocha was convicted and sentenced to 15 years in jail by Justice AC Obiozor of the Federal High Court, Benin, for trafficking 200grams of crack cocaine following her arrest in the Edo state capital on September 24, 2021, by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and her subsequent arraignment in suit no. FHC/B/136c/2021.
“The convict pleaded guilty to a one-count charge when her case came up in court on Monday, November 15. The judge, however, granted her the option of paying a N2 million fine or spending 15 years in jail, effective from September 24, when she was arrested while trying to deliver 200grams of crack cocaine to a customer at an eatery in Benin City.
“The five men were also convicted and sentenced to 126 years imprisonment by a Federal High Court in Abeokuta, presided over by Justice Ogunremi Omowunmi Oguntoyinbo, in suit no. FHC/AB/105c/2021.
“The convicts were arrested on September 14, 2021, along Lagos -Ibadan expressway, with 46 bags of cannabis sativa weighing 552 kilograms, in a truck, and subsequently charged on three counts of transportation, possession and dealing in the illicit drug,” the statement read.
In her judgment delivered on November 9, Justice Oguntoyinbo sentenced the first, second and third accused persons to 30 years imprisonment each, while the driver of the truck bagged 21 years, and the motor boy/driver’s assistant 15 years in jail.
While Ndubuisi, Haruna and Saddam were sentenced to 10 years on each count charge, Bashir got seven years on each count charge and Usman five years on each count charge. The jail terms will run concurrently.