The Federal High Court in Lagos has convicted and sentenced two Nigerian nationals for attempting to traffic cannabis sativa (marijuana) to the United Kingdom.
Nnamani Sunday, a socialite from Enugu, was sentenced to four years in prison for attempting to export 800 grams of cannabis, while Jude Onah, 52, was given a one-and-a-half-year sentence for trafficking 7.9 kilograms of the drug.
Justice Ayokunle Faji sentenced Sunday in suit No: FHC/L/788c/2024, with no option for a fine, while Justice Yellim Bogoro sentenced Onah in suit No: FHC/L/607c/2024, allowing for a fine of N1.9 million in lieu of the sentence.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) prosecutor, Mr. Abu Ibrahim, told the court that Sunday was arrested on August 10, 2024, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport during an examination of cargo destined for the UK. Sunday concealed the drugs inside Chikki Noodles packs and had enlisted one Nwajideopi Samson to facilitate the export.
Sunday pleaded guilty to the charges, leading to his conviction. His defense counsel, Anthony Nnamoko, requested a lighter sentence, citing his client’s status as a first-time offender. However, Justice Faji sentenced Sunday to two years for each of the two counts, to run concurrently, without the option of a fine.
Similarly, Onah was arrested in July 2024 by the NDLEA at a checkpoint in Badagry, Lagos, while attempting to import 7.9 kilograms of cannabis from a neighboring country. Onah, who pleaded guilty to the charges of unlawful importation, trafficking, and possession, was sentenced to one and a half years in prison. His lawyer, Oke Ojakovo, also appealed for a fine in lieu of the custodial sentence.
Justice Bogoro sentenced Onah to one year on the first count and six months on the second, while ordering him to pay a N1.9 million fine. Additionally, the Sienna vehicle used in transporting the drugs was forfeited to the Federal Government.
The NDLEA’s prosecution underscored the seriousness of the offenses, emphasizing the agency’s commitment to combatting drug trafficking.
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