Azikiwe Oteka, a 57-year-old teacher, was convicted and handed a three-month community service sentence by the Federal High Court in Lagos State for engaging in the illegal sale of prohibited substances.
Following Oteka’s guilty plea to three counts of illicit dealing in banned drugs, Justice Yelim Bogoro mandated him to fulfill the community sentence in place of a jail term.
Apart from the community service, the offender was also directed to pay a fine totaling N400,000.
Oteka faced charges brought forth by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency in February 2024, concerning the illegal trading of 12 grams of cocaine, 12 grams of heroin, and 19 grams of cannabis sativa (marijuana).
During the court proceedings, the NDLEA’s prosecutor, Mr. Lambert Nor, disclosed that Oteka was apprehended on December 9, 2023, at Ajao Estate in Lagos State while peddling the illicit substances.
Initially pleading not guilty, Oteka subsequently altered his plea mid-trial, admitting to the illegal drug dealing allegations.
As a result, Nor presented the case facts and advocated for the conviction and sentencing based on Oteka’s confession and the evidence submitted.
During the sentencing hearing, the prosecutor informed the court that the day’s agenda was the judgment of the defendant.
Oteka’s defense counsel, Oke Ojakovo, did not contest the prosecution’s assertions.
In response to the submissions made, the presiding judge convicted Oteka and inquired if he had any final statement (allocutus) to make. An allocutus is a formal address given by a guilty defendant before sentencing, often observed in common law jurisdictions.
Requesting leniency, Oteka revealed to the court that he formerly worked as a secondary school teacher in Delta State but turned to drug peddling following his wife’s demise.
Expressing remorse, Oteka pleaded for mercy, emphasizing that his arrest marked a turning point in his life.
Ojakovo, Oteka’s lawyer, petitioned the court to consider his client’s circumstances, highlighting his clean criminal record and first-time offense.
After deliberating on the defense’s allocutus, Justice Bogoro sentenced Oteka to three months of community service.