A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has convicted a popular Lagos socialite, Fayisara Ajoke Opaleye, widely known as Iya Ruka, and her driver, Abideen Adio, for trafficking and transporting 1,540 kilograms of Cannabis Sativa, also known as marijuana.
The duo were found guilty by Justice Musa Kakaki on Friday after they pleaded guilty to an amended one-count charge filed against them by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
The NDLEA had initially arraigned the 61-year-old businesswoman and her 41-year-old driver in May on a three-count charge of conspiracy, unlawful possession, and trafficking in prohibited substances.
They both pleaded not guilty at the time and were granted bail under strict conditions.
However, at the resumed hearing on Friday, they dramatically changed their plea to guilty, prompting the prosecution to present the facts of the case and tender evidence of the seized drugs and the vehicle used in transporting them.
Prosecuting counsel, Buhari Abdullahi, urged the court to convict the defendants accordingly and order the forfeiture of the Isuzu truck with registration number LSD 127 YK and chassis number JAANPR71HE7101834 used in the crime, to the Federal Government.
In a plea for leniency, defence counsel, Chief Benson Ndakara, begged the court to temper justice with mercy, citing the convicts’ remorse, health challenges of Iya Ruka, and the fact that both were first-time offenders. He pleaded that the court impose a non-custodial sentence, preferably a fine.
After listening to both sides, Justice Kakaki convicted the two and imposed fines of N20 million on Iya Ruka and N10 million on her driver, in lieu of prison sentences.
The court also granted the NDLEA’s request for the forfeiture of the truck to the Federal Government.
The prosecution said the convicts’ actions contravened Sections 11(b) and 11(c) of the NDLEA Act, Cap N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, which prohibit the trafficking and transportation of narcotic drugs.
The conviction adds to the rising number of high-profile drug-related cases currently being prosecuted by the NDLEA across Nigeria.
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