A father of five, Olusesi Yusuf, has been sentenced to 600 hours of community service, by Justice Abimbola Awogboro of a Lagos Federal High Court, for illegal dealing and possession of some banned substances.
The 41-year-old, according to the prosecutor, M. I. Erondu, was arrested on March 6, 2023, at Felix Ogaga Close, Aso Oke, Ajah Lagos State, where he was selling the banned substances.
Banned drugs found on the convict when arrested according to the prosecutor included 15.5 grams of cocaine, 14 grams of Indian hemp and a total of 14 grams of Swinol, a psychotropic substance.
The prosecutor told the court that the offences committed by the convict, contravened Sections 19 and 11(c) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
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The convict, who is an air-conditioner repairer, admitted committing the offences and pleaded guilty to the charges.
Upon the convict’s plea, the prosecutor urged the court to sentence him, having pleaded guilty to the charges.
However, the lawyer to the convict, Oke Ojakovo, pleaded with the court to tamper justice with mercy in sentencing him.
The lawyer told the court that his client, who is a first-time offender, is a repairer of air-conditioners with five children and a pregnant wife, adding that he was misled into selling the substances by his friends.
The lawyer told the court that the convict had learnt his lesson in a bitter way. He therefore urged the court to award an option of a fine instead of custodian sentence.
Justice Awogboro, in her judgment, sentenced the convict to 600-hour community service. She also ordered that all the substances recovered from him be destroyed by the NDLEA.
