Bus driver bags 6 months jail term, community service over drug trafficking

Justice Yellin Bogoro of a Federal High Court in Lagos, on Thursday, sentenced a 24-year-old bus driver, Mike Onyekachi, to six months at the Ikoyi correctional facility and six months of community service over drug trafficking.

Bogoro held that the community service should commence after the convict had served the six months jail term.

The defendant was arraigned on Thursday, by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on a two-count charge of drug trafficking.

He pleaded guilty to the charge

After his plea, the prosecutor, Mrs M.J Mamza, reviewed the facts of the case through an NDLEA officer, Mr Lucky Oghalifu.

Some the documents tendered include: statement of the convict, request for scientific aid form, packaging of substance form, drug analysis report, brown sealed envelope and a bulk exhibit

The court accordingly, admitted and marked the evidences.

After analysing the content of a transparent pouch in the brown envelope containing some of the narcotics, the prosecutor urged the court to proceed and convict the defendant.

She dwelt on the provisions of sections 274(2) and 356(2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015, as well as guilty plea, to convict the defendant accordingly.

In his plea for mercy, defence counsel, Mr Okeh Ojakovo, argued that the convict was a first offender.

He told the court that the convict, whom he described as a bus driver with a promising future, had learnt his lessons, urging the court to mitigate the sentence

The court consequently, sentenced the convict to a term of six months in the Ikoyi correctional service, as well as six months of community service, after his jail term.

The court also ordered that the narcotics be returned to the NDLEA for destruction.

In the charge, the convict was said to have unlawfully dealt in 11g of Cannabis sativa and one gramme of Molly.

Both substances are categorised as restricted by law, as they are similar to cocaine and other psychotropic substances listed in the NDLEA schedule as being prohibited.

The offence contravened the provisions of section 11(c) of the NDLEA Act Cap N30, Laws of the Federation, 2004.