Man bags 1-year jail term for unlawful possession of cannabis sativa

March 2, 2017 3:34 AM

25 yr-old-man is sentenced to one year in jail for possession of Indian Hemp.

Germany joins a long list of European countries that have legalised some cannabis products or decriminalised possession of small amounts of the drug

A Federal High Court, Ado-Ekiti on Tuesday sentenced one

Justice Taiwo Taiwo, who convicted Joel, decried the involvement of youths in the consumption of illicit drugs, as it could affect their brain.

He sentenced the accused, who admitted committing the offence to one year imprisonment without an option of fine, saying that this would serve as deterrent to others in the habit of taking hard drugs.

The prosecutor from the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Mr Collins Ugwuja, had told the court that the accused committed the offence on Sept.15, 2016 at Atikankan Area of Ado-Ekiti.

He said that the accused, on the said date, had in his possession 500 grammes of cannabis sativa (a.k.a.Indian hemp)

Ugwuja said the offence contravened Section 11(a) of the NDLEA Act, Cap N30 Laws of Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

The accused pleaded guilty to the offence and urged the court to temper justice with mercy.

The defence counsel, Mr Segun Fowowe, also pleaded for leniency for his client promising that he would turn a new leaf.