A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has sentenced 24-year-old Emmanuel Chekwube to seven years imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges.
Justice Lewis Allagoa delivered the ruling on Wednesday, convicting Chekwube on a four-count charge involving conspiracy, illegal possession of restricted drugs, unlawful use of premises for storing banned substances, and drug dealing. Despite the sentence, the judge granted the convict an option to pay a fine of five million naira in lieu of imprisonment.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) had brought the charges against Chekwube, alleging he committed the offences on May 7 at Amukoko in the Ijora area of Lagos. Prosecutors stated that the defendant used a premises to illegally store 56.2 kg of Tramadol Hydrochloride, 1.2 kg of Nitrazepam, and 72 grams of Swinol — all classified as banned substances under the NDLEA Act of 2004.
During the proceedings, the prosecutor, Ms. M. I. Erondu, presented various exhibits including the defendant’s statement, drug analysis and packaging forms, remnants of the narcotics, and other documentation. She urged the court to convict Chekwube based on his plea and the evidence provided.
The defence pleaded for leniency, noting that Chekwube was a first-time offender who expressed willingness to reform.
Justice Allagoa subsequently sentenced the defendant to seven years on each of the four counts, to run concurrently, and reaffirmed the five million naira fine option.
