By Paul Sanusi
A Federal High Court in Lagos has convicted and sentenced an Estate Agent, Salami Abideen Jide, to six years imprisonment for unlawful importation of 32.2 Kilogrames of cannabis sativa, popularly called marijuana, a prohibited narcotic drug.
Jide was convicted and sentenced today, by Justice Ibrahim Ahmad Kala, after he pleaded guilty to two counts charge of procuring and unlawful Importation of the that prohibited substance made him by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
The NDLEA lawyer, C. O. Osaigbovo, while arraigning the convict in the charge numbered FHC/LAG/CR/826/2026, told the court that the convict had on September 9, 2026 at the Skyway Handling Company (SAHCO) Import Shed, a Customs Area/Point of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos procured one Ebenezer Bayode, a freight forwarding agent of Maykar Ventures to import 32.20 kilograms of cannabis ffrom Canada.
The prosecutor also told the court that the convict on the same day unlawfully imported the said substance.
The alleged offences according to the prosecutor contravened 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(a) and 20 (2)(a) of the said Act.
The convict pleaded guilty to the offences when the charges were read to him.
Based on the convict’s guilty plea, the prosecutor reviewed the facts of the case and tendered all exhibits, which includes the prohibited substance concealed in a big suitcase, his confessional statement and others.
The prosecutor thereafter prayed the court to convict and sentence the man based on his guilty plea, exhibits tendered and in accordance with the sections of the NDLEA acts he was charged with.
However, the convict’s lawyer, Rachel Mimido Nyiew, in her allocutor pleaded with the court to tamper justice with mercy in sentencing her client.
The lawyer particularly begged the court to consider a non-custodial sentence or fine option in lieu of the jail-term.
In considering the submissions of the counsel, Justice Kala sentenced the convict to three years imprisonment in each of the counts.
The judge however ordered the convict to pay fine option of N3 million on each count, with 60 days community service in lieu of the jail-term.
In conclusion, the judge ordered that the jail-term shall run concurrently, while the fine option shall be consecutively.
Charges against the convict read: “That you Salami Abideen Jide, Male, Adult, on or about the 9th September 2026 at the Skyway Handling Company (SAHCO) Import Shed, a Customs Area/Point of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos procured one Ebenezer Bayode, a freight forwarding agent of Maykar Ventures to import 32.20kilograms of Cannabis Sativa, a Narcotic Drug, similar to Cocaine, LSD, Heroin and you thereby committed an act which is an offence contrary to section 21 (2)(d) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Cap. N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and punishable under section 11(a) of the said Act.
“That you Salami Abideen Jide, Male, Adult, on or about the 9th September 2026 at the Skyway Handling Company (SAHCO) Export Shed, a Customs Area/Point of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos without lawful authority imported 32.20kilograms of Cannabis Sativa, a Narcotic Drug, similar to Cocaine, LSD, Heroin and you thereby committed an act which is an offence contrary to section 20 (1)(a) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Cap. N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and punishable under section 20 (2)(a) of the said Act.”
