Abuja – Four hundred and seventy-five drug traffick offenders were tried and sentenced to various jail terms in Nigeria between September and November, 2021.
A statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) said the offenders were sentenced based on charges it filed against them.
It said that the sentences were passed on them by Federal High Courts across the country.
The statement signed by Femi Babafemi, NDLEA’s Director of media said the figure represented a fraction of over 1,000 drug traffickers tried and jailed from January to November.
” In September, 73 offenders were convicted with Jigawa State recording the highest figure of 15 convicts, followed by Adamawa , 14 and FCT, 11.
“Jigawa State also topped the chart of the 150 convictions recorded by the agency in October with 14 convicts, followed by Niger, 13, Katsina, 12, Taraba, 11 and Lagos, 11, ” the statement said.
Babafemi said
Adamawa and Abia States recorded the highest figure of convictions in November with 23 each out of a total of 252 convictions recorded in the month.
In the same month, the statement said the Federal Capital Territory had 21 convictions while Plateau had 14.
Babafemi said the
interesting parts of the trials was that of a serial drug traficking offender, Chukwuemeka Kalu Orji who was sentenced for the third time for the same offence.
Orji , 32 years , was sentenced
to a fresh 10 years imprisonment with hard labour on October 13 by Justice E.N.Anyadike of the Federal High Court, Umuahia, Abia state.
He was first jailed for eight months on December 15, 2017 by Justice Anyadike, and was again jailed for three years on December 13 , 2020 by Justice D.E. Osiagor.
Another interesting case was that of a 58-year-old man, Obi Ajah who was also sentenced to five calendar years imprisonment with hard labour on October 13 by Justice Anyadike.
The convict is also a second time offender, having been convicted earlier on November 29 , 2012 by Justice J.A. Olubanjo of the Federal High Court, Umuahia.
The Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig-Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd) , in his reaction commended the various state commands and the agency’s Directorate of Prosecution and Legal Services for their commitment and diligent prosecution of the cases filed against drug offenders.
According to him, such effort will go a long way to deter Nigerians from taking to drug traficking. (vitalnews)
