NAN-H-36
Jail
By Wandoo Sombo
Abuja, Jan. 13, 2017 (NAN) The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Friday, sentenced a 42-year-old man, Felix Ojotuashe, to eight months imprisonment for illegally possessing 300 grams of cannabis.
Ojotuashe, who was arraigned in October, 2016, by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), had pleaded guilty to the offence.
Delivering judgment, the presiding judge, Justice John Tsoho, said that the defendant was not ignorant of the offence he committed.
“The defendant by his statement said he had done a feasibility study and knew people who smoke cannabis around his area.
“It is immaterial that he says he is not a smoker because cannabis is a narcotic controlled under Nigerian law and possessing it without authority is an offence and I convict him as charged,” Tsoho said.
He, however, added that the convict, being a first-time offender and having pleaded for leniency, his jail term would begin from Oct. 12, 2016 when he was arrested.
Tsoho said that the judgment could be appealed within 90 days.
Prosecuting counsel, Mr Mike Kassa, had told the court that Ojotuashe did not have a previous criminal record.
The convict had pleaded with the judge to tamper justice with mercy, saying that he was the sole provider for his children and that if pardoned, he would never commit the crime again. (NAN)
WS/OPI/OPI
Edited by Olisa Ifeajika