Mother weeps in court as son bags life imprisonment

A mother on Wednesday broke down and wept bitterly at the Federal High Court Ikoyi, after the presiding judge sentenced her son to life imprisonment for trafficking cannabis, otherwise known as Indian hemp.

The convict, Aluagwu Lawrence 32, was arrested on 12 February 2015 with 220 grammes of dried weeds found to be cannabis under the bridge at Ojota, Lagos.

He pleaded guilty, blaming his circumstances on his lack of formal education. He also blamed his woes on the fact that his father abandoned him and the mother when he was a just a kid.

In delivering her judgement, Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia dismissed the plea of Aluagwu that he had no formal education and that the father divorced his mother when he was a little child.

She said single parenting and lack of formal education was not an excuse for drug trafficking. Aluagwu was therefore sentenced to life imprisonment.

Immediately after the judgment was passed, the mother of Aluagwu Lawrence began to weep uncontrollably in the court premises. She was quickly surrounded by friends and relatives, who tried to console her.

Also convicted is Ameachi Igwe. Igwe was sentenced to 25 years with hard labour. The judge expressed concern over Igwe who was arrested while selling cocaine at the popular Mile 12 market in Lagos. Igwe was found in possession of 2.7 grammes of cocaine.

 Igwe, who is a night guard, also sells cocaine at the market. When asked to make allocutus he pretended to be deaf and dumb.

The convicts both pleaded guilty to unlawful possession and dealing in narcotics.

NDLEA prosecutor, Barrister Jeremiah Aernan told the court that Igwe was arrested on May 8, 2015 by NDLEA officers at Mile 12 Market where he was found with 2.7 grammes of powdery substance that tested positive for cocaine.

The Acting Chairman of NDLEA, Mrs Roli Bode-George commended the judiciary over the life sentence and 25 years imprisonments passed on the two drug convicts by Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia.

The NDLEA boss said that the ruling reflected the criminal rating of drug offences in the country.

Roli said: “The sentences demonstrate the readiness of the judiciary to strictly apply the law on culprits. This is highly commendable and a motivating force for Nigeria’s anti-narcotics campaign. These provisions are there in the NDLEA Act and it is a positive development that the judiciary is taking the bull by the horn. It will further sensitize members of the public on the severity of drug trafficking.”