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Justice Ambros Lewis- Alagoa of the Federal High Court, Lagos today convicted and sentence a 38 years old lady hair stylist, Shodunke Yetunde Simbiat to 7 years imprisonment or a fine of N15 million over unlawful possession of 23 kilograms of Cocaine.
According to the one count charge filed by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, against the convict, she was said to have without lawful authority be in possessed 23 Kilograms of Cocaine, a narcotic substance and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 20 (1) (c) and punishable under section 20 (2) (b) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
When the matter came up for arraignment today, the prosecutor from the NDLEA, Mr. Buhari Abdullahi told Justice Alagoa that the prosecution has a one count charge pending before the court and urge the court to order that the charge be read so that the defendant can take her please.
The charge was then read and the defendant pleaded guilty to the one count.
Following the guilty plea of the defendant, the prosecutor pleaded with the judge to allow him to review the facts of the case from the bar and his request
was granted by the presiding judge.
Buhari then reviewed the facts of the case by tendering relevant documentary evidence and exhibits.
He thereafter, asked the court to convict the defendant based on her guilty plea and the additional evidence adduced by the prosecution.
The trial judge after reviewing the submission of the prosecutor and in the absence of any objection from the defence counsel, convicted the defendant as charge.
In his allocutus on behalf of the convict, the defence counsel Mr Uche Okoronkwo urged the court to have mercy on the convict.
Uche said the convict is a first time offender who did not waste the time of the court by pleading guilty at the earliest opportunity. He further urged the court to temper justice with mercy by granting an option of fine instead of custodian sentence.
Justice Alagoa after hearing both parties sentence the convict to 7 years imprisonment or a fine of N15 million.
The judge further ordered that the convict’s phone and the N200,000 cash found on her should be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The one count charge against the convict reads:
That you Shodunke Yetunde Simbiat Female, 38 years old, on or about the 10 December, 2025 at No. 31 Onasanya Street, Surelere, Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court without lawful authority (the proof of which shall lie on you) possessed 23 Kilograms of Cocaine, a narcotic drug and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 20 (1) (c) and punishable under section 20 (2) (b) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
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