A laborer named Adam Shola has been sentenced to four years in prison by the Federal High Court in Kaduna for the sale of cannabis, commonly known as marijuana. The conviction and sentence were delivered by Justice Garba Mohammed after the accused pleaded guilty to the offense.
Upon hearing the charge, Shola admitted his guilt and implored the court for leniency in sentencing. In his verdict, Justice Mohammed expressed satisfaction with the evidence presented by the prosecutor.
“The court is fully convinced, beyond a reasonable doubt, based on the weight of the evidence presented before me. Therefore, I pronounce the defendant guilty and hereby convict him summarily,” the judge declared.
The convicted laborer has been sentenced to four years in prison, starting from May 5, the day of his arrest. Justice Mohammed also instructed the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to destroy the drugs within 90 days if the convict does not file an appeal against the judgment.
The NDLEA Counsel, T. I. Atserhegh, informed the court that the defendant was apprehended on May 5 at Kawo Bus Stop in Kaduna while selling the drugs. The NDLEA operatives seized 5kg of cannabis sativa, a narcotic drug similar to cocaine, heroin, and LSD, from Shola.
The offense falls under Section 11(c) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, Cap 30, LFN 2004. The prosecutor presented a transparent envelope containing remnants of the drug as evidence and urged the court to convict the defendant based on his plea and the evidence provided.
