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The Federal High Court in Lagos sentenced 43-year-old trader Abubakar Sulaiman to seven years in prison for trafficking various illegal drugs on Tuesday.
Justice Ambrose Lewis-Alagoa gave the sentence with an option for Sulaiman to pay a fine of N5 million instead of serving time.
Sulaiman, a resident of Ikorodu, was convicted after admitting guilt to seven charges brought by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), which included unlawful possession and distribution of narcotic and psychotropic substances.
The NDLEA reported that he was caught with significant amounts of illicit drugs, such as Cannabis Sativa, Diazepam, Tramadol, a Codeine-based cough syrup, Rohypnol, Methamphetamine, and Molly (MDMA).
During Tuesday's court proceedings, the prosecutor,B.S. Abdullahi, notified the court about the pending charges and requested that they be read to the defendant.
Sulaiman was arrested on May 27, 2025, in Ikorodu, Lagos, for unlawfully dealing in several banned substances.
After the charges were read, Sulaiman pleaded guilty to all counts.
The prosecution, led by Abdullahi and J.O. Negudu, provided facts surrounding the case, presenting relevant documents including Sulaiman's extrajudicial statement and the seized drugs as evidence.
Abdullahi stated that the defendant was found with multiple types of banned narcotic and psychotropic substances recovered during surveillance at his residence and emphasized the alarming quantity and variety of the drugs.
He requested the court to convict Sulaiman. With no defense objections, the court found him guilty on all counts.
“Sulaiman has accepted his guilt, and we have provided overwhelming evidence, including his extrajudicial statement and the exhibits seized from him. We ask the court to convict him in accordance with Section 274(2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act,” Abdullahi argued.
In response, defense attorney Augustin Nwagwu fervently appealed for leniency, stating, “My Lord, the convict is a first-time offender who did not waste the court's time.
He has shown genuine remorse and pledged never to return to crime. We ask Your Lordship to be merciful.”
In his judgment, Justice Lewis-Alagoa found Sulaiman guilty on all seven counts and sentenced him to seven years in prison with the option of a N5 million fine.
“Having reviewed the facts and evidence from the prosecution, and given Sulaiman's voluntary admission of guilt, I hereby convict and sentence him to seven years imprisonment or a N5 million fine,” ruled the judge.
The judge urged the convict to reflect on his choices and take advantage of the opportunity offered by the fine option, stating, “This conviction should serve as a warning to others.
The abuse and trafficking of illegal drugs pose a significant threat to our society.”
