The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arraigned a 56-year-old man, Adesokan Olalekan, before the Federal High Court in Lagos on charges of drug trafficking.
The defendant, facing a single charge of dealing in cannabis sativa (commonly known as hemp), appeared before Justice Ayokunle Faji, where he pleaded guilty to the amended charge.
Following his plea, NDLEA prosecutor Mr. Aondofa Korinjo presented the facts of the case through NDLEA operative Mr. Peter Ereche, who recounted the circumstances of the defendant’s arrest.
Ereche testified that NDLEA operatives apprehended Olalekan with cannabis sativa concealed in a black nylon bag. Upon testing, the substance was confirmed as cannabis.
The prosecution provided various pieces of evidence, including a certificate of test analysis, a scientific aid request form, and a drug analysis report. Additional items submitted included the bulk of the seized cannabis, a package of substance form, the defendant’s confessional statement dated September 28, and remnants of the analyzed substance.
The defense counsel, Mrs. Vivian Ekwegh, did not object to the evidence, which the court admitted as exhibits.
The prosecution requested the court to convict Olalekan based on his guilty plea and the evidence presented. Justice Faji subsequently convicted him as charged.
In a plea for leniency, defense counsel Ekwegh urged the court to show mercy, noting that Olalekan is a first-time offender who had saved the court’s time by pleading guilty promptly.
She highlighted that the convict, a father of five, expressed remorse and had learned from the experience.
After considering the plea, Justice Faji adjourned the case until November 18 for sentencing and ordered that Olalekan be held in custody at the correctional facility pending the sentencing.
The charge alleges that Olalekan committed the offense on September 28 in the Ajara area of Badagry, Lagos State, dealing in 120 grams of cannabis without lawful authorization.
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