A Federal High Court in Lagos has sentenced two men, Ugwuja Ejiofor and Okon Christopher, to a total of four years and four months in prison for trafficking 58.6 kilograms of cannabis sativa, commonly known as Indian hemp.
The judgment was delivered on Monday by Justice Musa Kakaki after both defendants pleaded guilty to charges brought by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
Ugwuja faced a two-count charge of conspiracy and unlawful importation of 56 kilograms of cannabis sativa, while Okon was charged with unlawful dealing in 2.6 kilograms of the substance. According to NDLEA prosecutor Peter Ekuri, Ugwuja, 35, conspired with a fugitive accomplice, identified as Sammy, to smuggle cannabis from Accra, Ghana, into Nigeria on February 19, 2026.
Ekuri also stated that Okon, 37, was apprehended on May 30, 2026, in the Ladipo Canal area of Mushin, Lagos, for unlawful possession of 2.6 kilograms of cannabis.
The offences, committed without lawful authority, violated Sections 14(a), 11(a), and 11© of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, Cap N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004. Following their guilty pleas, the prosecution reviewed the facts and presented evidence, urging the court to convict and sentence the defendants.
Defense counsel G.U. Okaka and Chief Lilian Omotunde asked the court for leniency, noting that both men were first-time offenders with no prior criminal records.
Justice Kakaki subsequently convicted Ugwuja and sentenced him to two years’ imprisonment on each count, with an option of a N10 million fine in total. Okon was sentenced to four months in prison, with the alternative of a N300,000 fine.
