5th January, 2016
A 72-year-old man, Samuel Akhigbe, on Tuesday, pleaded guilty to a charge of unlawful dealing in banned drug brought against him at a Federal High Court in Lagos.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) arraigned him before Justice Saliu Saidu.
Prosecution counsel, Mr Jeremiah Aernan, had told the court that Akhigbe dealt in 3.3 kilogramme of Cannabis Sativa otherwise known as Indian hemp, a narcotic similar to cocaine, heroin and LSD, without lawful authority.
He alleged that the accused committed the offence on Nov. 9, 2015 at Command Road, Ipaja.
According to the prosecutor, the offence violated the provisions of Section 11 (c) of the NDLEA Act, 2004.
Akigbe, who told the court that he was suffering from tuberculosis, pleaded guilty to the charge.
When the charge was read to him, he said “I am guilty”.
The prosecutor thereafter asked for a new date “for review of facts of the case and sentencing’’.
The judge therefore adjourned the matter till March 12 and ordered that the accused should be remanded in prison.
The offence of drug trafficking attracts up to life imprisonment term if convicted.