Court sentences man to 5 years imprisonment for possession of hard drugs

Mon, Jul 13, 2020
By publisher
2 MIN READ

Crime

A Federal High Court sitting in Jos on Monday sentenced a man, Jude Okeke-Okoye to five years imprisonment for trafficking dangerous hard drugs.

Delivering judgment, Justice Dorcas Agishi, described the illegal possession and trafficking of hard drugs as “detrimental’ and “dangerous” to the youths of the country.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) arrested the convict in 2017 for trafficking in hard drugs including Tramodol, Dizapham, Exol-5 among others.

Okeke-Okoye was found guilty on two counts and sentenced to five (5) and two (2) years on each count, which are to run concurrently.

“With the evidences available before this honourable Court, the accused is not a first offender who supply the dangerous substances.

“He has contributed to the destruction of the society through criminal tendences especially selling illicit drugs against the law of Nigeria,” she said.

The judge explained that the testimonies of PW1 and PW3 lucidly proven that the accused the offense without any doubt after she carefully studied all of them .

She said: “the evidence in chief has already indicated the Okeke-Okoye, in which it clearly shows that his shop was raided by NDLEA head of operation sometimes in July ,2017 and tremors ,tremordol Dizapham, Exol-5 among others were uncovered.”

Earlier, NDLEA Counsel, Mr S. Abdullahi, had told the court that offences Committed by the accused contravened the provisions of Sections 11 (c) of the NDLEA Act.

Abdullahi asserted that the defendant was not a first offend, stating that he was convicted and sentenced twice for similar offenses .

But the defence counsel, Mr Nasir Idoko, pleaded with the court to tamper Justice with mercy as the accused is the bread winner of the family and more so that he has pledged not to repeat or continue in the illicit drugs business again.

Idoko also claimed that the defendant was a first offender and should be treated with leniency.

Also speaking, Okeke-Okoye’s sick wife, who was present in court with their five children during the proceedings, pleaded for mercy.

NAN

– Jul. 13, 2020 @ 17:59 GMT |

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