The Federal High Court sitting in Enugu has sentenced three first-time drug offenders to eight months’ imprisonment each after they pleaded guilty to separate charges of unlawful possession of illicit drugs.
Delivering judgment, Justice M.T. Segun-Bello said the sentences were aimed at reforming the convicts rather than serving as purely punitive measures, citing their guilty pleas, first-time offender status, the non-commercial quantities of drugs recovered and the absence of aggravating circumstances.
One of the convicts, Ogbonna Dike, 30, was sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment without the option of a fine after pleading guilty to unlawful possession of 0.92 grammes of methamphetamine and 60 grammes of cannabis. He was arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at Okpanku in Aninri Local Government Area of Enugu State on April 5, 2026. The court also ordered that the period he had already spent in custody be deducted from his sentence.
In a separate case, Onyinyechi Ugwueze, 30, who pleaded guilty to possessing 5.1 grammes of methamphetamine, was sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment with an option of a ₦100,000 fine after the court considered her a first-time offender.
Similarly, Mmesoma Calista Nnajiuba, 22, was convicted for unlawful possession of 355 grammes of cannabis sativa. She was also sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment with the option of a ₦100,000 fine, having been found to be a first-time offender with no aggravating circumstances.
The court noted that none of the defendants was represented by legal counsel during the proceedings.
Justice Segun-Bello urged the convicts to embrace lawful living after serving their sentences, warning that any future involvement in drug-related offences could attract stiffer penalties.
The convictions followed successful prosecution by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency under the provisions of the NDLEA Act.
