Dispatch rider bags seven years for tramadol trafficking

A 33-year-old dispatch rider, Yahaya Nuru, has been sentenced to a total of seven years’ imprisonment by the Federal High Court in Lagos for trafficking tramadol and other prohibited drugs.

Justice Musa Kakaki delivered the judgment on Wednesday after Nuru pleaded guilty to a four-count charge brought against him by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

At the arraignment, the prosecutor, Peter Ekuri, told the court that Nuru committed the offences in November 2025 at No. 6 Ashogbon Street, Lagos Island, in collaboration with others who are still at large.

According to Ekuri, the convict conspired with Abdulrazak and Chukwu Emmanuel Emeka to unlawfully deal in controlled substances. He said Nuru was arrested in possession of 4.12 kilograms of tramadol hydrochloride, 40 millilitres of tramadol hydrochloride injection, one litre of diazepam injection, and 1.04 litres of tramadol hydrochloride injection, which he intended to distribute to various buyers.

The prosecutor stated that 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.

Following Nuru’s guilty plea, the prosecution urged the court to convict and sentence him in line with Section 247(2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.

In his allocutus, defence counsel appealed to the court to show leniency, arguing that Nuru was a first-time offender who admitted the offences and saved the court’s time.

In sentencing, Justice Kakaki said he took into account the plea for mercy and the fact that the convict had no prior criminal record. He sentenced Nuru to four years, five months, one month, and three years’ imprisonment on counts one to four, respectively.

The judge also gave the convict an option of fines of ₦300,000, ₦30,000, ₦50,000, and ₦200,000 on the respective counts, adding that both the prison terms and fine options would run concurrently.