Justice Musa Kakaki of a Federal High Court in Lagos has sentenced four men — Godswill Zevor, Phillip Erugbe, Agbeko Dumuda and Monday Kponeba, to a cumulative jail term of 20 years for their involvement in the illegal transportation of 1,120 kg of cannabis sativa, a prohibited narcotic substance.
The judge handed down the sentence after the defendants pleaded guilty to charges of unlawful importation and transportation of the banned drug, as filed by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
The men were arrested by NDLEA operatives on August 25, 2024, at sea, along the Oniru Beach Area of Lekki, Lagos. According to the NDLEA lawyer, Paul Awogbuyi, the defendants actions contravened Sections 11(a) and 11(b) of the NDLEA Act, Cap N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (2004).
During the trial, the prosecution reviewed the facts of the case and presented exhibits, including the confiscated cannabis concealed in jumbo sacks, the defendants’ confessional statements, and other related materials.
In his plea for leniency, the defence lawyer, G. U. Okaka, did not oppose the admissibility of the prosecution’s evidence, but urged the court to tamper justice with mercy in sentencing his clients.
He argued that the defendants were first-time offenders and had cooperated with the investigation by pleading guilty.
Okaka also requested that the court consider imposing a fine instead of custodial sentence. In his judgement, Justice Kakaki rejected the defence’s plea for a fine, noting that financial penalties have not deterred individuals from engaging in drug trafficking.
He emphasized the harmful impact of narcotics on the society and the defendants’ admissions that they committed the crime for financial gain.
“I have considered the quantity of the drug — 1,120 kilograms — and the damage it causes to society. “Payment of fines has proven ineffective in curbing this illicit trade,” Justice Kakaki stated.
Each defendant was consequently sentenced to five years imprisonment on two counts, with the sentences to run concurrently, effectively totalling five years for each convict.
The 2-count charge against the defendants reads as thus: “That you, Godswill Zevor, Phillip Erugbe, Agbeko Dumuda, and Monday Kponeba, on or about the 25th day of August 2024, at Sea along Oniru Beach Area of Lekki, Lagos, without lawful authority, imported 1,120 kilograms of cannabis sativa, a narcotic drug similar to cocaine, heroin, and LSD, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 11(a) of the NDLEA Act.
“That you, Godswill Zevor, Phillip Erugbe, Agbeko Dumuda, and Monday Kponeba, on or about the 25th day of August 2024, at Sea along the Oniru Beach Area of Lekki, Lagos, without lawful authority, transported 1,120 kilograms of cannabis sativa, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 11(b) of the NDLEA Act.”.
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