Justice Musa Kakaki of the Federal High Court, Lagos, has convicted popular socialite, Fayisara Ajoke Opaleye, widely known as Iya Ruka, and her driver, Abideen Adio, for trafficking 1,540 kilograms of Cannabis Sativa (marijuana).
The 61-year-old Iya Ruka and her 41-year-old driver were found guilty after pleading guilty to an amended one-count charge of illegal drug trafficking brought against them by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
Both defendants were first arraigned in May on a three-count charge of conspiracy, trafficking, and unlawful possession of the banned substance. They initially pleaded not guilty and were granted bail under specified conditions. However, at the resumed hearing on Friday, they changed their plea to guilty under the amended charge.
Prosecuting counsel Buhari Abdullahi told the court that the offences contravened Sections 11(b) and 11(c) of the NDLEA Act, Cap N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004. He presented evidence to support the charges and asked the court to convict the duo.
Abdullahi also urged the court to order the forfeiture of the Isuzu Truck used for transporting the drugs with registration number LSD 127 YK and chassis number JAANPR71HE7101834 to the federal government.
Defence counsel, Chief Benson Ndakara, pleaded for leniency, noting that his clients’ guilty pleas showed remorse. He cited Iya Ruka’s health condition and Adio’s prolonged detention as reasons for a non-custodial sentence, preferably a fine.
In delivering judgment, Justice Kakaki acknowledged their remorse and first-offender status. The court ordered Iya Ruka to pay a fine of N20 million and Adio to pay N10 million as penalties for their crimes.
