By Onozure Dania

Lagos—A 38-year-old tailor, Kehinde Ogunmola, was yesterday sentenced to six years imprisonment for trafficking in illicit drugs by Justice Musa Kurya of a Federal High Court, in Lagos.

The  convict, who resides at Ebuta Meta area of Lagos, had tried to escape from court on July 1 when he was brought to court for arraignment.

He was sentenced to six years imprisonment by Justice Kurya, after he pleaded guilty to a two-count charge preferred against him by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA.

Kurya sentenced Ogunmola to three years imprisonment on each count without an option of fine in accordance with the provisions of Section 281 of the Criminal Procedure Act, Laws of the Federation, 2004 and held that the sentences would run consecutively.

He also held that the sentence would take effect from the today (yesterday) and that the drug substance should be destroyed 30 days after, if no appeal was lodged.

The  convict was sentenced after the review of the facts of the case provided by the NDLEA prosecutor, Mr Orji Kalu.

Kalu, however, stated that the facts of the case were as provided by the charge sheet, adding that the convict was caught by some NDLEA operatives on March 3 at Shitta, Surulere, Lagos.

He said that the convict dealt in 26.1grammes of cocaine and 4.5 grammes of heroine without lawful authority.

He further stated that the convict made a confessional statement during an investigation into the crime.

The prosecutor told the court that the substance found on the convict proved to be hard drugs when it was tested at an NDLEA forensic laboratory.

Kalu, however, tendered the convict’s statement, the bulk of the drug, the certificate of the drug analysis and they were admitted as exhibits before the court.

The convict pleaded for leniency and told the court that he would never indulge in such an illicit act again.

The prosecutor had told the court that the offence committed was punishable under Section 11 (c) of the NDLEA Act, Cap N30, Laws of the Federation 2004 the  convict was first arraigned on July 1.