The Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos has convicted and sentenced an 87-year-old woman, Agbomabiwon Maria Seriki, for dealing 10.3 kilograms of marijuana otherwise known as Cannabis Sativa.
The Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos has convicted and sentenced an 87-year-old woman, Agbomabiwon Maria Seriki, for dealing 10.3 kilograms of marijuana otherwise known as Cannabis Sativa.
However, Justice Hadiza Rabiu-Shagari ordered that the convict is remanded at the Lagos State Old People's Home in Yaba, pending when any member of her family who is willing and able to take proper care of her, apply to the court to take her custody.
The convict, a resident of 9 Osunba Street, Oto-Awori, Ijanikin, Lagos, had last week Tuesday, pleaded guilty to one count charge of unlawful dealing in 10.3 kilograms of Cannabis Sativa, a narcotic similar to cocaine and heroin, when she was arraigned before the court by the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
Upon her plea of guilty, the prosecutor, Aliyu Abubakar, had urged the court to adjourn the matter for a review of fact.
The prosecutor after reviewing the fact of the case tendered some exhibits which include the convict's confessional statements, drug test analysis, and the Cannabis Sativa seized from her which were admitted as exhibits by the court.
After the admissibility of the exhibits, the court pronounced the 87-year-old woman convicted as charged.
However, the convict's lawyer, Prosper Ojakovo, pleaded with the court to be lenient in sentencing his client.
Ojakovo told the court that the accused was a first time offender who has nobody to take care of her. He pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy and consider her age in sentencing her.
In sentencing, Justice Rabiu-Shagari stated that sending her to prison will not be of any benefit, especially when her age is considered.
The judge consequently ordered that the convict be remanded at the Lagos State Old People's Home pending when any member of her family who is willing and able to take proper care of her, apply to the court for such.
In the same vein, Justice Rabiu-Shagari also sentenced a 56-year-old woman, Anya Nneoma, to 12 months imprisonment for unlawful dealing in 5.5 kilograms.
Anya also pleaded guilty before the court last Tuesday, for illegal dealing in five kilograms of the same substance (marijuana).
She was however unlucky, as the judge sentenced her to the female section of Kirikiri Prison for the next 12 calendar months.
Both convicts offense is said to be contrary to and punishable under sections 11(c) of NDLEA cap. N30, laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
