Abimbola Olalekan Daniel, who recently returned to Nigeria from Canada, has been convicted and sentenced to a total of 11 years’ imprisonment for unlawful importation and possession of 2.50 Kilogrames of cannabis by a Federal High Court in Lagos.
The convicted Canadian returnee was convicted and given the jail term by Justice Akintayo Aluko, following his guilty plea to a two-count charge marked FHC/Lag/CR/609/2026, preferred against him by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), on Monday.
The prosecutor, Arit O. Okon, while arraigning the convicted man on Monday, informed the court that he unlawfully brought the drug into Nigeria from Canada on an Ethiopia Airline.
He was said to have brought in the drug with a waybill number 07161185795.
The prosecutor informed the court that the convict also engaged the services of a logistics firm, Afriway Cargo and Logistics, located at 20b, Anthony Udo Avenue, International Airport Road, Ikeja, Lagos, to clear the prohibited drug.
An impeccable source from the agency informed this medium that the convict was arrested when he had gone to collect the prohibited drug.
Following his arrest and upon conclusion of the investigation, he was charged to court on a two count-charge of unlawful importation and possession of the drug.
The offences, according to the prosecutor, contravened sections 11(2) and 20(1) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, Cap N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, and are punishable under section 20(2) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, Cap N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
The convicted man, Abimbola Olalekan Daniel, admitted committing the offences when the charges were read to him, and pleaded guilty to the charges.
Following his guilty plea, the prosecutor, through one of the agency’s Exhibit Keepers, Abdullahi Mohammed Musa, reviewed the facts of the case.
The prosecutor, through the witness, also tendered all exhibits in the matter which were admitted by the court.
Upon review of the facts of the case and tendering of the exhibits, the prosecutor prayed the court to convict and sentence the Canada returnee based on his plea, exhibits tendered and in consonance with section…of the Administration of the Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015.
But his lawyer, Chief Benson Ndakara, leading Chief Dennis Warri, in their allocution, pleaded with the court to consider the early guilty plea of their client to the charges, and that which they said
The defence team also cited sections 311(2)(c) and 412(2) paragraph c of ACJA 2015 to beg the court to give their client a non-custodial sentence.
Delivering judgment in the charge, Justice Aluko, after confirming from the prosecutor that the convict did not have any record of previous conviction, and after summing up submissions of the parties coupled with the cited plethoras of legal authorities, sentenced the Canada returnee to five years on the first count and six years on the second count.
The judge, however, ordered the convicted returnee to pay the sum of N500, 000 for the first count and N600,000 for the second count, as a fine option in lieu of the custodial sentence.
Charges against the convicted Canada returnee reads: “that you, Abimbola olalekan Daniel Male, Adults, on about the 14th day of July, 2026, during the inward clearance of cargo with waybill number 07161185795 on Ethiopian airline from Canada at at Customs import shell, a Customs area of Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court without lawful authority imported 2.50 kilogram of cannabis, and narcotic drug similar to cocaine, heroin, and LSD and committed an offence contrary to under section 11(2) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, Cap N30 laws of the federation of Nigerian 2004.
“That you abimbola Olalekan Daniel, male, adult, on the 15th day of July, 2026, at Afriway Cargo and Logistics, No. 20, Anthony udo Avenue Ajao Estate Ikeja, Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this honorable court without lawful authority possessed 2.50 kilogram of cannabis a Narcotic drug similar to cocaine, heroin, and LSD and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 20(1) and punishable under section 20(2) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap N30, laws of the Federation of Nigerian 2004.”
