Gladness Gideon
A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has sentenced a Beninese national, Hounsou Chegoun, to two years’ imprisonment without the option of a fine for unlawfully importing nearly two metric tonnes of cannabis sativa into Nigeria.
Chegoun was convicted on Tuesday after pleading guilty to a three-count charge filed by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), which accused him of unlawful importation, possession, and aiding the trafficking of the prohibited substance.
Prosecution counsel for the NDLEA, Chidinma Izuagba, told the court that Chegoun was arrested by the agency’s Special Marine Unit on December 24, 2024, within Nigeria’s territorial waters with 1,960 kilograms of cannabis.
Upon reading the charges, Chegoun admitted guilt on all counts. Izuagba presented key exhibits, including the bulk of the seized drugs, and urged the court to convict him accordingly.
“This is a clear case of cross-border trafficking involving a very large quantity of narcotics,” she said.
Justice Musa Kakaki, in delivering judgment, said the quantity of the drugs posed a serious threat to public health and national security, dismissing a plea for leniency from Chegoun’s counsel, Godwin Okaka.
Okaka had argued that the defendant was a first-time offender who acted out of desperation and had shown remorse.
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But Justice Kakaki emphasized the gravity of the offence and the need to send a strong message.
“This court cannot turn a blind eye to the devastating impact of drug abuse on our youth and the nation’s image globally,” the judge declared.
“The quantity of drugs involved in this case is enormous. If not intercepted, the damage to society would have been incalculable.”
Chegoun’s actions were found to have violated Sections 11(a), 14(b), and 19 of Cap N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
He will serve the full two-year sentence without the possibility of a fine.