Couple Receives Two-Year Prison Sentence for Drug Trafficking

A Lagos Federal High Court, presided over by Justice Nicholas Oweibo, handed a two-year prison sentence to Mr. Ikechukwu Okafor and his wife, Ifeyinwa Okafor. The couple, residing in Ago Palace Way, Okota, Lagos State, pleaded guilty to unlawfully dealing in 19.12 kilograms of Methamphetamine, a banned substance.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) had charged the couple with five counts, including conspiracy, unlawful dealing, and unlawful possession of the prohibited drug. The prosecutor, Mr. A. G. Yaunyam, stated that the couple committed the offenses on October 5, 2023, at their residence in Ago-Palace Way, Okota, Lagos, violating sections 14, 19, and 11(c) of the NDLEA Act Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

After the guilty plea, the prosecutor recommended sentencing in accordance with the relevant NDLEA Act sections. The defense lawyer, Benson Ndakara, sought leniency for the first-time convicts, proposing a non-custodian sentence or a fine option. Despite the plea, Justice Oweibo sentenced the couple to 24 months imprisonment and ordered them to pay a fine of N3 million for each count, totaling N1.5 million.