An Indian hemp seller, Idris Jimoh, has been convicted and sentenced to four years imprisonment, by a Federal High Court, Lagos.
The 33 years old convict was given the jail terms by Justice Rilwan Aikawa, after pleaded guilty to a count charge of unlawful dealing in the banned weed, levelled against him by the National Drug Laws Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
The convict according to the NDLEA was arrested by its operatives on November 18, 2018, at Ijesha under-bridge, along Oshodi-Isolo expressway, Lagos, where he was hawking 1.7 kilograms of Cannabis Sativa, popularly called India hemp.
Arraigning the convict, the prosecutor, Jeremiah Aernan, told the court that the defendant had once be arrested by the agency on the same allegation. But released after being counselled on the bad effect of dealing on illicit trade and after he promised not to engage in the act.
Aernan told the court that said upon the re-arrest of the defendant, it showed that he failed to heed to the counselling given to him.
The prosecutor told the court that the offence committed by the defendant contravened 11(c) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, capital N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
He therefore urged the court to convict and sentenced the defendant accordingly.
However, Mrs. Helen Ibeji, lawyer to the defendant, pleaded with the court to tamper justice with mercy in sentencing the convict, said that the submission made by the prosecutor that her client was once arrested for the same offence was unknown to the court.
Delivering judgement on the charge, Justice Aikawa said: “I have listened to the plea of mercy made by the convict’s counsel. I have also listened to the facts reviewed by the prosecutor, the defendant is hereby sentence to four years imprisonment”.
The charge against the convict reads: ” that you Idris Iimoh, male, adult, 32 years old on or about the 8th day of
November, 2018 at Ijesha under-Bridge, Lagos State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court without lawful authority engaged in the sale of 1.7kg of cannabis sativa, a narcotic drug similar to Cocaine, Heroin and LSD and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 11(c) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, capital N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004″.