Court Slams Drug Dealer With Five Years’ Imprisonment In Plateau

Yakubu Busari

A Federal High Court sitting in ,Jos  the Plateau state capital on Monday sentenced one Jude Okeke Okoye a drugs dealer to five (5) and two (2) years in prison in Jos which is  to run concurrently .

 

The convict, Jude Okeke Okoye, who pleaded guilty was sentenced to five years and two years imprisonment with no option of  fine.

 

The NDLEA said the offence contravened the provisions of Sections 11 (c) of the NDLEA Act.

 

Earlier, Prosecution counsel, S Abdullahi, urged the court to convict the defendant and sentenced him summarily.

 

Okoye counsel, N.A Nazir pleaded with the court to be lenient, saying the defendant wasn’t the first offender.

 

Justice Agishi said notwithstanding the quantity of the drugs which was minimal, the law must take it cause.

 

“The law is the law and must be enforced for the sanity of the society,” she added.

 

 

Justice Dorcas Agishi of Federal High Court said that with the evidence available before her, she saw that the convict is not the first offender who supplies the dangerous substances but however, the convict is not a child to have been considered as a minor but a full grown man.

 

She explained that the convict contributed to the destruction of the society through criminal tendency by selling, illicit drugs addiction against the law of Nigeria.

 

The judge in her judgment, says evidences of PW1&PW3 had proven that the accused person committed the offense without any  doubt after she  carefully studies all  of them .

 

According to the judgment ,the evidence in chief has already indicated the defendant were his shop was raided by NDLEA head of operation sometimes in July ,2017 and tremors ,tramadol  capsules including some drugs were uncover .

 

After sorting out some of the bags the NDLEA proceeded to test and analysis all the bags containing some  of substances and the test prove positive to the illicit drugs he was accused of involving himself in and they all mark them as exhibits ,A,B C ,NNN (a) NNN(9)  large sum ,he judgment explain.

 

 

Counsel to the accused person ,Jude Okeke Okoye ,Barr Nazir Alh Idoko told journalists that his client engage in selling of dangerous drugs including other substance and had finally repented from the act committed having realized the magnitude of offense he has done to himself and the society .

 

He urged the court to tender justice with mercy considering that his client wasn’t the first offender of the criminal act label against him.

 

Meanwhile, the counsel to NDLEA, Barr S. Abdullahi insisted that the defendant is not the first offend he is convicted of but he has been sentenced twice for the similar offenses.

 

The defendant, Chief Okeke Okoye whose sick wife and five children both young were present during the proceedings.

 

The wife had already lost one of her leg to diabetic disease  ,and with her heart full of pleading before the honourable court seeking for mercy  but the sin he is charge with offense of been in possession of illegal illicit drugs .

 

The trial started In July, 2017 and judgement was entered on the 13th July, 2020 with no options of fund attach because each one of the offense read had it provision.

 

The  Traditional Igbo cultural Welfare Association Leader ,ICWA,IGWE OCAS Samuel Achi paid solidarity representing the entire Igbo community on the Plateau pleading that ,Chief Okeke Okoye is now a repentant drug dealer and since resorted into selling of soft drinks .

 

We are here pleading that the presence of the accused person who indicated he has repented of selling of dangerous drugs and he now supply drinks to carter for the welfare of the family .

 

The defendant is clocking 56 years and he has five children and his sick wife is the brain winner and children are underage in nursery, Primary and secondary schools with so many needs.