Justice Uche Agomoh of the Federal High Court, Ibadan Division, on Thursday, convicted a 33-year-old man, Eze Emeka, for dealing and trafficking 1.043kg of cocaine.

The NDLEA counsel, D. O. Otunla, had informed the court that the convict was arrested on April 20 on the Ibadan-Oyo Expressway while Sokoto-bound.

Mr Otunla informed the court that the defendant, who was arrested for dealing and trafficking in cocaine, excreted a total of 1.043kg of cocaine, which contravened Sections 11b and 11c of the NDLEA Act 2004.

Mr Otunla urged the court to sentence the defendant as charged.

Emeka, at his arraignment, pleaded guilty to the charges levelled against him.

Subsequently, Ms Agomoh convicted the defendant after taking his guilty plea to the two-count charge of trafficking and dealing in 1.043kg of cocaine levelled against him by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

The judge said that the prosecuting counsel, Mr Otunla, discharged the burden of proof on the charges against the convict.

She said that the plea of guilt by the defendant and the exhibits tendered by the prosecutor showed that the defendant committed the offences as charged.

“I have carefully looked at exhibits tendered by the prosecution witness and charges against the defendant and his plea of guilt, and I am satisfied that the prosecutor has proved the charges against the defendant beyond reasonable doubt. I hereby convict the defendant as charged,” Ms Agomoh said.

In his allocutus, the defence counsel, Anthony Nnamuko, urged the court to temper justice with mercy in sentencing the convict.

Mr Nnamuko said that the convict was a first-time offender with no previous criminal record and a young man with two children and a wife who depend on him for their survival.

He said that the convict had learnt his lesson in a hard way and was remorseful.

The defence counsel prayed the court to give the convict a second chance at life, adding that he might still be useful to his family and Nigeria at large if given a second chance.

“The convict was influenced by peer group, he just finished his wedding and was influenced into drug by this same friends who made sure that all the money he made during his wedding were stolen.

“It has been a burden of one problem to another for his wife and children for the past five months of his arrest,” Mr Nnamuko said.

He urged the court to consider his family in sentencing him and temper justice with mercy.

Ms Agomoh, after listening to the plea of the defence counsel, adjourned to deliver the sentence on September 23. 

(NAN)