The Federal High Court sitting in Enugu has sentenced three first-time drug offenders to eight months' imprisonment each after they admitted to unlawfully possessing illicit substances.
Justice M.T. Segun-Bello delivered the judgments on Thursday, noting that the court took into account the defendants' guilty pleas, their status as first-time offenders, the relatively small quantities of drugs recovered and the absence of aggravating circumstances.
According to the judge, the sentences were designed to encourage rehabilitation rather than serve as purely punitive measures. She urged the convicts to turn away from crime and embrace lawful living after completing their sentences.
One of the convicts, 30-year-old Ogbonna Dike, faced a two-count charge involving possession of 0.92 grammes of methamphetamine and 60 grammes of cannabis. Prosecuting counsel, Orji Kalu, told the court that NDLEA operatives arrested Dike on April 5, 2026, at Okpanku in Aninri Local Government Area of Enugu State.
After pleading guilty, Dike was convicted under the provisions of the NDLEA Act and sentenced to eight months in prison without the option of a fine. The court also ordered that the period he had already spent in custody be deducted from his jail term.
In another case, 30-year-old Onyinyechi Ugwueze admitted to unlawfully possessing 5.1 grammes of methamphetamine following her arrest by NDLEA officers in Nsukka. The court described her as a first-time offender and ruled that the quantity recovered was not for commercial purposes. She received an eight-month prison sentence with the option of paying a ₦100,000 fine. The prosecution was led by N.E. Nnabueze.
Similarly, 22-year-old Mmesoma Calista Nnajiuba was convicted after pleading guilty to possessing 355 grammes of cannabis sativa. She was arrested along Monastery Road in Amorji Nike, Enugu East Local Government Area. Justice Segun-Bello sentenced her to eight months' imprisonment with the option of a ₦100,000 fine, citing her clean record and the absence of aggravating factors.
None of the three defendants was represented by legal counsel during the proceedings.
Justice Segun-Bello said the court adopted a reform-focused approach because the convicts accepted responsibility for their actions and showed the potential for rehabilitation. She, however, warned them that any future involvement in drug-related offences could attract much harsher penalties.
The convictions were secured under the relevant provisions of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Act after all three defendants pleaded guilty to the charges against them.
