Mother Of 4 Escapes Life Jail, Bags 10 Years Imprisonment For Cocaine Trafficking
Posted on October 31, 2017
YAHAYA IBRAHIM
Justice Rilwan Aikawa of a Federal High Court in Lagos on Tuesday, convicted and sentenced a mother of four to 10 years imprisonment for cocaine trafficking.
The judge sentenced the 56-year-old woman, Owolabi Oluwayemisi Modinat, to jailed term after she pleaded guilty to a one count charge of cocaine trafficking, preferred against her by Nigeria anti-narcotic agency, the National Drug Laws Enforcement Agency (NDLEA)
The convict had earlier pleaded guilty when she was first arraigned before the court and she maintained her plea when the matter came up on Tuesday.
According to the charge marked FHC/L/301c/17, the convict was arrested on May 19, 2017, at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, during outward clearance of Qatar Airways flight to Saudi Arabia, with 330 grammes of Cocaine, a narcotic drug.
The offence, according to the prosecutor, Abu Ibrahim is contrary to and punishable under section 11(b) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, Cap. N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
While reviewing the fact of the case, the prosecutor tendered before the court, the convict’s harmonized ECOWAS passport with number: 1808098653, an E-ticket and boarding pass as evidence.
Other evidence tendered by the prosecutor includes: three writing statements of the convict, two request of scientific aid form, a drug analysing report, two evidence pouches, two transparent pouches containing bulk of the drug, two scientific report of the drug, and a sealed brown envelope with reference number:DEA/17/MM/013, which were admitted as exhibits.
The prosecutor, therefore, urged the court to convict and sentence the mother of four accordingly.
Consequently, Justice Rilwan Aikawa, pronounced her guilty as charged.
Consequently, Justice Rilwan Aikawa, pronounced her guilty as charged.
Modinat, in her alucutor (plea for mercy) through her lawyer, Morenike Ogunleye, pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy in sentencing her.
“My Lord, the convict is a first time offender, and she is sober of her action. She is a mother of four children, who single handedly taking care of them, as she has separated from her husband,” Ogunleye said
“In sentencing her, I urged my lord to consider section 416(2)(b)(d) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015,”. She added.
Before sentencing her, the judge asked the prosecutor, Mr. Ibrahim, for the punishment for the crime committed as stipulated by the NDLEA Act, and the prosecutor said it is life imprisonment.
Justice Aikawa pronounced: “I have listened to the plea made on her behalf by the counsel, and also listened to the prosecutor that she has no record of crime. I’m balancing, I have to consider both her plea and what the law says about the crime.
“Consequently, I hereby sentence her to 10 years imprisonment, starting from the day of her arrest”.
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