By Wandoo Sombo
The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Friday sentenced Godwin Osama, to three years imprisonment for possessing 40.5 kilogrammes of Cannabis Sativa popularly known as Indian hemp.
Justice Nnamdi Dimgba, who delivered the judgment, noted that Osama had previously served a three-year jail term for the same offence.
Similarly, the court sentenced one Andy Ngbede to 18 months jail term for transporting 117 kilogrammes of Indian hemp.
The judge said that both men were convicted based on the fact that they pleaded guilty to the charge preferred against them.
A witness, Mr Shehu Mohammed, who was led in evidence by the prosecuting counsel, Mr Mike Kassa, told the court that the street value of the drugs was about N1.14 million.
“The value of the drugs recovered from Osama is N360, 000 while that of Ngbede is N780, 000.
“They were arrested on Aug. 10 and volunteered statements which they signed,” Mohammed, an official of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), said.
Both convicts had earlier, in tears, pleaded with the judge to temper justice with mercy.
Osama told that court that he was married and had four children, adding that another prison sentence would make his wife to divorce him.
On his part, Ngbede told the court that he had three children, and that he had lost his job at the company where he worked as a driver.
He said that he was lured into transporting the drugs to make extra money to treat his sick mother.
