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Justice Daniel Osiagor of the Federal High Court in Lagos on Tuesday issued a caution and discharged Isoken Arigbe, a female drug offender, on compassionate grounds after her conviction for the unlawful possession of 66 grams of methamphetamine.
Arigbe pleaded guilty to a one-count charge brought against her by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency following her arrest on May 23, 2025, at the Lekki Gardens Phase 2 Junction in Ajah, Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State.
During the proceedings, NDLEA prosecutor A.G. Yuanyuam informed the court that they were ready to arraign Arigbe and present the charges against her.
He explained that Arigbe was found in possession of 66 grams of methamphetamine, a substance akin to cocaine, heroin, and LSD, without lawful authorization, which violated Section 19 of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, Cap N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, as amended.
After pleading guilty, the prosecutor reviewed the case's details and submitted relevant documents and evidence, urging the court to convict her in accordance with Section 356(2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015. Consequently, Justice Osiagor convicted Arigbe as charged.
Following her conviction, the prosecution sought final forfeiture of N534,569.16 located in the convict’s bank accounts, asserting it was derived from her unlawful actions. The judge approved the application and ordered the amount forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
During the allocates, defense counsel Mr. C.J. Robert, representing Uche Okoronkwo's chamber, appealed for leniency, highlighting that Arigbe was a first-time offender who expressed remorse and cooperated with authorities by pleading guilty at the earliest opportunity.
Robert also presented medical reports from the Lagos University Teaching Hospital underscoring Arigbe’s serious health issues, including abdominal complications and an enlarged heart. Taking her frail health into account, Justice Osiagor chose not to impose a custodial sentence, opting instead to caution and discharge her with a warning against repeating the offence and advising her to concentrate on her health.
The judge, however, mandated the forfeiture of the sum of N534,569.16 to the Federal Government.
