A 33-year-old dispatch rider, Yahaya Nuru, has been sentenced to a total of seven years’ imprisonment by the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos for trafficking tramadol and other controlled substances.
Justice Musa Kakaki delivered the judgment on Wednesday after Nuru pleaded guilty to a four-count charge filed against him by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
At the hearing, prosecuting counsel, Peter Ekuri, told the court that the offences were committed in November 2025 at No. 6 Ashogbon Street, Lagos Island. He said Nuru acted in concert with two accomplices, Abdulrazak and Chukwu Emmanuel Emeka, who are currently at large.
Nuru was arrested in possession of 4.12 kilograms of tramadol hydrochloride, 40 millilitres of tramadol injection, one litre of diazepam injection, and 1.04 litres of tramadol hydrochloride injection, all allegedly meant for distribution to multiple buyers.
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Ekuri said the offences contravened Sections 20(1)(a) and 11(c) of the NDLEA Act and are punishable under Section 20(2)(a) of the same law, Cap N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
Following the defendant’s guilty plea, the prosecutor urged the court to convict and sentence him in line with Section 247(2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.
Counsel to the defendant appealed for leniency, describing Nuru as a first-time offender who had shown remorse and saved the court’s time by admitting to the charges.
In his ruling, Justice Kakaki said he considered the plea for mercy and the allocutus presented by the defence before passing sentence.
He sentenced Nuru to four years, five months, one month and three years’ imprisonment on counts one, two, three and four, respectively. The court also imposed fines of ₦300,000, ₦30,000, ₦50,000 and ₦200,000 on the respective counts as an alternative to imprisonment.
The judge ordered that all sentences and fine options should run concurrently.
