The Federal High Court in Ibadan on Tuesday sentenced a farm labourer, Johnson Abu, to six years’ imprisonment for cultivating and dealing in cannabis sativa, otherwise known as Indian hemp.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Abu was arraigned by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on a two-count charge of cultivating and dealing in the substance.
The 36-year-old convict, who pleaded guilty to the charge, was sentenced by Justice A. Okeke after the presentation of facts of the case by the prosecuting counsel, Mrs Anne Balogun.
Okeke sentenced him to three years in prison for cultivating 0.4686 hectares of Indian hemp at Ibu-Ade Village in Apata in Ibadan.
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He also bagged three years’ imprisonment for dealing in 64kg of the substance.
The judge said the sentences would however run concurrently, starting from the day he was arrested.
“I find him guilty of count one for cultivating 0.4686 hectares of cannabis sativa farm, which contravenes Section 19 of NDLEA Act Cap N30 Law of the Federation 2000.
“I also find him guilty of count two for dealing in 64kg of cannabis sativa, which contravenes Section 19 of NDLEA Act N30 Law of the Federation 2000.
“I sentence you to three years’ imprisonment for count one and also three years’ imprisonment for count two. The sentences are to run concurrently from the date of the arrest,” she said.
NAN reports that the judge further ordered NDLEA to destroy the exhibits if no appeal was filed within 30 days.
Earlier, the prosecuting counsel had told the court that the convict was arrested on Sept. 12 at Ibu-Ade Village for allegedly cultivating and dealing in cannabis sativa.
She called a witness, an NDLEA operative, Olaniyan Olutayo, who tendered dry weed and 64kg fresh weed as exhibits in prosecuting the matter.
The defendant’s counsel, Mr Adetola Babalola, had pleaded for leniency in sentencing his client. (NAN)
