Court jails two drug traffickers

Two drug traffickers, Mr. Onyeze Obiora and a woman, Mrs. Omojomolo Iyabode, have been convicted and sentenced to various jail-terms by the Federal High Court Lagos.

While Obiora, 55, was convicted and sentenced to three years imprisonment for trafficking in 300 grams of Cocaine by Justice Daniel Osiagor.

The convicted woman, Omojomolo, was convicted and given five years jail time, for trafficking in 900 grams of Flunitrazepam, a Psychotropic Substance, by Justice Nicholas Oweibo.

The two convicts were given the jail-term on Friday, after they both pleaded guilty to a separate count charge made against them by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

The prosecutor, Mr. Abu Ibrahim, told the court that Obiora was arrested with the prohibited substance on March 20, at the Export Shed of Skyway Handling Company Limited (SAHCOL), of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos. While the second convict, Mrs. Omojomolo was arrested on April 1, when about boarding a Virgin Atlantic Airways flight to the United Kingdom.

Mr. Abu told the court that the offences of the convict, contravened section 20 (1) (a) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and punishable under Section 20 (2)(a) of the said Act.

The convicts admitted committing the offences and pleaded guilty to the charge filed against them.

With their guilty plea, the prosecutor, urged the convict them as charged and sentence them in accordance with the laws they were charged with.

But their lawyers, Chief Benson Ndakara and Vivian Ekwegh, in their separate plea for leniency, pleaded with the court to tamper justice with mercy in sentencing them.

The lawyers told the court that their clients are first time offenders, who did not have previous conviction records.

They also urged the court to consider the convicts’ earlier guilty plea to the charges, saying that they did not waste precious time of the court.

Justice Oweibo, after listening to the counsel’s submissions, sentenced Mrs. Omojomolo to five years imprisonment, but gave her fine option of N500,000, in lieu of the jail-term.

Also, Justice Osiagor, sentenced Obiora to three years imprisonment, but gave him an option of N2 million fine, in lieu of the jail-term.