Lagos businessman sentenced to four years imprisonment for attempt to export 800g of Cannabis Sativa to UK

Justice Ayokunle Faji of a Federal High Court, Lagos, has sentenced a 36-year-old man, Nnamani Sunday Sunny, to four years imprisonment for attempting to export 800 grams of Cannabis Sativa, also called Marijuana, to United Kingdom. 

Sunday was sentenced on Monday, November 18, 2024, without an option of a fine.

Earlier, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency prosecutor, Mr. Abu Ibrahim, told the court that Sunday was arrested on August 10, 2024, during the examination of cargoes to the United Kingdom, at the Skyway Handling Company Export Shed, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.

Abu told the court that the convict concealed the weeds in Chikki Noodles packs. 

He also told the court that the convict had procured one Nwajideopi Samson to export the prohibited drug.

According to the prosecutor, the offences committed contravened Sections 21 (2)(d) and 20 (1)(a) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Cap. N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and punishable under Sections 11(b) and 20 (2)(a) of the said Act.

However, the convict pleaded guilty to the two counts marked FHC/L/788c/2024, when he was arraigned before the court.

Following the convict’s guilty plea, the prosecutor, after citing some authorities and some sections of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015, urged the court to convict and sentence him in accordance with the charges against him.

The counsel for the convict, Anthony Nnamoko, pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy in sentencing his client.

Nnamoko also pleaded with the court to consider a fine option in lieu of the custodian sentence, on the grounds that his client was a first-time offender and for not wasting the precious time of the court.

In his judgment, Justice Faji, after legally considering the submissions of both the prosecutor and the convict’s lawyer, sentenced him to two years imprisonment in each of the counts, without the option of a fine.

Justice Faji however ordered that the sentences shall run concurrently.