Court Jails 2 Alaba-Rago Traders For Indian hemp Dealing
Two traders, at the popular Alaba-Rago market, Lagos, Abubakar Sadiq, 25, and Isah Ibrahim, 27, have been convicted and sentenced to 12 months imprisonment, for conspiracy and unlawful dealing in 11 Kilogrames of Cannabis Sativa popularly called marijuana, by a Federal High Court, Lagos.
Justice Deinde Dipeolu who presided over the court, slammed the jail-term on the two traders, after they pleaded guilty to charges made against them by the operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on Friday.
The convicted traders, according to the prosecutor, Barrister Abdullahi Buhari, were arrested on July 3, at the popular Alabarago market, on Lagos-Badagry expressway, where they were selling the prohibited weeds weighing 11 Kilogrames, to their customers.
The prosecutor, specifically informed the court that the first convict, Abubakar Sadiq is charged on a two count-charge of conspiracy and unlawful dealing in the banned weed, while the second convict was only charged for conspiracy.
He told the court that the action of the first convict, contravened sections 14(b) and 11(c) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap. N30, Law of the Federation 2004. While the section convict act, contravened section 11 (c) of the Act.
The convicted traders pleaded guilty to the charges when it was read to them.
Based on their guilty plea, the prosecutor, reviewee the facts of the charge, tendered exhibits and urged the court to convict and sentence them accordingly.
But lawyer to the traders, Barrister Evans Njoku, in his allucutor, passionately pleaded with the court to have mercy on his clients, saying that they are first time convicts, who did not have any record of previous conviction. And who did not waste the time of the court to plea guilty to the charges.
He therefore urged the court to give his clients non-custodian sentences or a fine option in lieu of the custodian sentence.
Upon listening to the counsel submission and confirming from the prosecutor that the traders are first time convicts, Justice Dipeolu sentenced the to traders to six months imprisonment in each of the counts.
The judge however ordered the first convict, Abubakar Sadiq, to pay a total sum of N1.1 million, while the second convict, Isah Ibrahim, was ordered to pay N500, 000, as option of fine to the imprisonment.
The amended charge against the two traders read: “that you Abubakar Sadiq, male 25 years old and Isah Ibrahim, male, 27 years old on or about 3rd of July 2025, at Alaba-Rago, within the Jurisdiction of this honourable court, conspired to traffic in 11 Kilogrames of Cannabis Sativa a Narcotics similar to cocaine, heroin and LSD, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 14(b) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap. N30, Law of the Federation 2004.
“That you Abubakar Sadiq, male 25 years old, on or about 3rd of July 2025, at Alaba-Rago, within the Jurisdiction of this honourable court, without lawful authority dealt in 11 Kilogrames of Cannabis Sativa, a narcotic similar to cocaine, heroin and LSD and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 11(c) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap. N30, Law of the Federation 2004.”