Man jailed 3 years for unlawful possession of Indian hemp

Justice Mohammed Garba, of the Federal High Court in Kaduna on Tuesday sentenced a 27-year-old man, Gideon Pius, to three year imprisonment for unlawful possession of cannabis sativa, popularly called Indian hemp.

Garba said the prosecution had convinced the court beyond reasonable doubt that the defendant committed the offence.

He sentenced Pius after he pleaded guilty to the charge of possession of illegal substance brought against him by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

The judge, however, did not give the convict an option of fine, but ordered that his jail term should commence from the day of his arrest.

He said that the evidence tendered before the court by the prosecutor had assisted the court to convict the defendant.

“The court has also relied on the confessional statement of the defendant to convict him and court has no option, but to convict the defendant based on the strength of his plea,” the judge said.

He also ordered that the cannabis sativa should be destroyed by the NDLEA in the presence of the chief registrar of the court.

Pius was docked on a count charge of unlawful possession of 8kg of cannabis sativa, an offence he admitted committing.

The NDLEA prosecuting counsel, T. J. Atserhegh, told the court that the convict was arrested on Sept. 2 by NDLEA officials.

He said that the offence contravened Section 11c of the NDLEA Act, Cap 30, Laws of the Federation, 2004.