Francis Omofe, a 76-year-old man, was sentenced to 25 years in prison by the Federal High Court in Abuja for drug trafficking. Justice James Omotosho delivered the judgment, stating the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt on two counts under the NDLEA Act. Omofe was convicted for transporting 340.8 kilogrammes of cannabis sativa from Edo State to Kaduna State in a Nissan Frontier vehicle bearing a police number plate. He was arrested on June 18, 2024, along Kuje Road by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). The court imposed a 15-year sentence without the option of a fine on count one, while a life sentence on count two was reduced to 25 years due to his age. Both sentences will run concurrently. Justice Omotosho emphasized the gravity of using a vehicle with a police plate to move a commercial quantity of drugs, linking such acts to rising violent crime.
A 76-year-old man is now serving a quarter-century prison term for trafficking 340.8 kilogrammes of cannabis in a vehicle with a police plate, raising questions about how such access was obtained at his age. The same plate meant to symbolize authority was used to transport drugs across state lines, yet no explanation was given on how Omofe acquired it. Nigerians named in official records or linked to similar vehicles must now face sharper scrutiny, especially where state-issued symbols intersect with criminal acts. The court's focus on deterrence does little to explain the failure in oversight that allowed the breach in the first place.
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