16th November, 2017
Akin Kuponiyi
A Federal High Court, Lagos on Thursday convicted an 87 year-old woman, Agbomabiwon Maria Seriki, for dealing in 10.3 kilogrammes of Cannabis Sativa.
However,the Presiding judge Hadizat Shagari ordered that the convict should be remanded at the Lagos State Old Peoples’ Home, Yaba, pending when any member of her family, who is willing and able to take proper care of her, apply to court to take her custody.
The convict, a resident of 9, Osunba Street, Oto-Awori, Ijanikin, Lagos, had last week Tuesday, pleaded guilty to one count charge of unlawful dealing in 10.3 kilogrammes of Cannabis Sativa, a narcotic similar to cocaine, heroine and LSD, when she was arraigned before the court, by the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
Upon her plea of guilty, the prosecutor, Aliyu Abubakar, urged the court to adjourn the case till today, to review the fact of the case.
At the resumed hearing of the matter on Thursday, the prosecutor after reviewing the fact of the case, tendered some exhibits which includes the convict’s confessional statements, drug test analysis, and the bulk of the Cannabis Sativa seized from her, which were admitted as exhibits by the court.
After the admissibility of the exhibits, the court pronounced the 87 years old woman, convicted as charged.
However, the convict’s lawyer, Prosper Ojakovo, in his pleas for mercy, pleaded with the court to be lenient in sentencing his client.
Ojakovo told the court that the woman was a first time offender, who has nobody to take care of her, and therefore urged the court to tamper justice with mercy, and consider her age in sentencing her.
In sentencing the convict, Justice Rabiu-Shagari stated that sending her to prison would be of no benefits, especially when considering her age.
The judge, consequently ordered that the convict be remanded at the Lagos State’s Old Peoples’ Home, Yaba, pending when any member of her family who is willing and able to take proper care of her apply to court for such.
In another case, Justice Rabiu-Shagari also sentenced a 56 years old woman , Anya Nneoma, to 12 months imprisonment, for unlawful dealing in 5.5 kilogrammes.
Anya, a resident of Vulcaniser area of Seme, Badagry, had also pleaded guilty before the court, last Tuesday, for illegal dealing in 5 kilogrammes of marijuana.
Her case was however different as the judge sentenced her to prison for the next 12 calendar months.