A Federal High Court in Osogbo, Osun State, has sentenced a commercial motorcyclist, Musa Mohammed, to four years imprisonment for illegally conveying 10.7 kilograms of cannabis sativa along the Gbongan–Ibadan Expressway.
Justice Mashkur Salisu convicted Mohammed on charges filed by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
During his arraignment on March 13, 2024, NDLEA prosecutor Olufemi Ijimakin informed the court that the defendant was arrested on March 1, 2024, for trafficking 10.7kg of cannabis in violation of Section 11(b) of the NDLEA Act.
Ijimakin presented three witnesses and tendered ten exhibits to support the prosecution’s case, while Mohammed pleaded not guilty to the charge.
In his judgment, Justice Salisu ruled that the prosecution had successfully proved its case beyond reasonable doubt and consequently convicted the defendant.
Counsel to the convict, Olayiwola Adeniyi, pleaded for leniency, describing Mohammed as a first-time offender.
Justice Salisu, noting that the offence carries a possible life sentence, opted for a lighter punishment and sentenced Mohammed to four years imprisonment without the option of a fine.
The court also ordered that the seized cannabis be destroyed and the motorcycle used for its transportation be forfeited to the federal government.