Commercial Motorcyclist Jailed For Selling Indian Hemp
Justice Oluremi Oguntoyinbo of the Federal High Court in Lagos on Monday convicted and sentenced a 28-years-old commercial motorcycle rider, Osama Usman, to one and half years imprisonment for unlawful dealing in Marijuana, popularly called Indian Hemps.
The convict, who was arraigned before the court, by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on a one count charge of trafficking Hemp, was sent to jail after he pleaded guilty to the crime.
In the charge, the prosecution team lead by Jeremiah Aernan had told the court that the convict was arrested on August 17, 2017, at Alaba- Rago Market in Ojo, Lagos with 200 grams of the narcotics.
He insisted that the offence is contrary to the provisions of section 11 ( c) of the NDLEA Act, Cap N30, Laws of the Federation, 2004.
While reviewing the fact of the case, Aernan who called one prosecution witness, tendered some documents in evidence.
The documents included a written statement of the convict, a request for scientific aid form, and a bulk of the exhibit.
Aernan, thereafter, closed the case for the prosecution, and urged the court to sentence the accused in accordance with section 356 (2) of the ACJA 2015, and based on evidences adduced.
In her judgment, Justice Oguntoyinbo found the accused person guilty as charged and accordingly, convicted him.
Before his sentence, the convict who was not represented by a lawyer, appealed to the court to have mercy on him and give him a second chance to make amend.
He promised never to make the same mistake in the future.
Reading the sentence afterwards, Oguntoyinbo held that from the wordings of the charge, it is clear that the convict is 28 years old, adding that he deserves another chance to become useful to the society.
“The convict is hereby, sentenced to one and half legal years of imprisonment, to be calculated from the date of his arrest.
“The drug exhibits are to be returned to the NDLEA for destruction,” she held
The judge added that the convict should go back to his hometown and be useful.
