Rasheed Bolaji, a 31-year-old bricklayer, has been sentenced to a two-year prison term by a Federal High Court in Lagos for selling marijuana (cannabis) at the Ikoyi Custodial Center.
Justice Abimbola found him guilty on two counts of trafficking and illegal dealing of 5.3kg Indian hemp on Friday.
Bolaji was charged by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) after being found peddling the illicit substance to prisoners on the grounds of the jail.
The defendant admitted guilt to the accusations.
After Bolaji entered a guilty plea, the prosecution’s attorney, M. I. Erondu, reviewed the evidence and informed the court that the defendant had been found with the illegal substance on December 2, 2022, at the Ikoyi Center of the Correctional Service.
Erondu requested that the defendant be sentenced in accordance with Sections 274(2) and 375 of the 2015 Administration of Criminal Justice Act.
Bolaji, though, pleaded for leniency and pledged to keep his word if given another chance.
Bolanle Kolawole, the defense attorney, said to the court that her client was a bricklayer who “smoked” Indian hemp to stay awake while performing his job.
She requested the judge to balance justice and mercy while passing judgment on his sentence and to give the option of a fine rather than a custodial sentence.
Justice Awogboro handed down the verdict and sentenced the defendant to two years in prison without the possibility of a fine.