Drug trafficking: Mother-of-seven to serve 16-month jail term

Abiodun Oba

A 51-year-old mother-of-seven Rose Phillips, was on Friday in Abuja sentenced to 16-month imprisonment for unlawful dealing in narcotics.

Justice Nkeonye Maha of the Federal High Court, Abuja, convicted Phillips on one count of possession of 44kg of Indian hemp filed against her by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.

“I find the defendant guilty as charged and accordingly convict her,” Maha said.

In convicting Phillips, the judge said that she took into consideration the gravity of the offence, the quantity involved, the age of the convict and the fact that she lost her husband while in detention.

Counsel to Phillips, Mr. Femi Aigbe, had told the court that the convict, prior to dealing in cannabis, was a tomato seller, and mother of seven children aged between seven and 25 years.

The counsel pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy since the convict was a first time offender and did not waste the time of the court as she pleaded guilty.

The prosecutor, Mr. Mike Kasa, had told the court that Phillips was arrested in 2018 by officers of the NDLEA, along Gwagwalada-Abaji highway in the FCT.

He also told the court that she concealed the substance in bags covered with fresh leaves.

The sentence is expected to commence from when she was arrested in October 2018.