UK councillor with Nigerian heritage resigns over drug offence
Ishmael Osamor, a 29 year-old UK Labour councillor of Nigerian origin, has resigned from his position.
According to BBC, Osamor resigned at a meeting of the council’s labour group on Tuesday after it emerged that he had pleaded guilty to having £2,500 (N1,158,937) worth of drugs with intent to supply at Bestival event in Dorset.
The Haringey councillor, who was caught with ecstasy, cocaine, ketamine and cannabis at the festival in August 2017 — nine months before he was elected, apologised for the “unwanted attention” his case had generated.
In a statement to the council’s chief executive, Osamor said: “It is with great regret that I am offering this as formal notice of my resignation as councillor, effective immediately.
“I would like to take the opportunity to apologise to the council, as I have to my ward colleagues and residents, for the unwelcome attention my case has brought to Haringey.”
He was sentenced to a two-year community order and 20 days rehabilitation.
As part of the sentence, he was also ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work and pay £400 prosecution costs.
Kate Osamor, his mother and a Labour member of parliament, is a critic of UK drugs policy.
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