25-year-old man jailed six months for peddling canabis

A Federal High Court in Lagos has sentenced a 25-year-old man, Sani Abarshi to a six-month jail term for dealing in canabis sativa, a contraband substance similar to cocaine.
Justice C.J. Aneke pronounced the judgment on Monday on the strength of the convict’s confession and the evidence tendered by the prosecution.
The accused was charged to court by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency on the allegation that he was found in unlawful possession of 850 grammes of canabis sativa.
The NDLEA prosecutor, Orji Kalu, had told the court that Abarshi was apprehended with the substance on September 15 last year at Marwa Roundabout, Lekki Phase II, Lagos.
Upon his arraignment on January 31, 2015, Abarshi, who appeared in court without any legal representation, had promptly pleaded guilty to the offence and pleaded for the court’s leniency.
Reviewing the facts of the case on Monday, a witness of the NDLEA, Odede Lawrence, explained to the court the circumstances under which he came to know the accused person.
Lawrence said, “On September 15, 2014, while in my office, the accused person was brought by two operatives of the NDLEA in persons of Elias Sikari and Ibinola Samuel, with substances suspected to be canabis sativa concealed in a pink-coloured bag, which was alleged to have been recovered from the accused person.
“I conducted a preliminary field test on the substance and it proved positive for canabis sativa. I also weighed it and found it to be 850 grammes.”
The court admitted the seized drug and other materials tendered by the prosecution as exhibits in evidence against Abarshi.
Consequently, Kalu urged the court “to convict and sentence the accused as charged in line with sections 218 and 285 of the Criminal Procedure Act.”
In pronouncing the sentence, Aneke said he was inclined to temper justice with mercy in the belief that the convict, who had been in prison since september last year, must have learnt his lesson.
The judge added that the convict deserved a second chance because he had no previous record of crime and for pleading guilty without wasting the time of the court.
He however warned that if the convict was ever brought back before the court on a similar offence he risked being slammed with a maximum sentence.
Aneke held that the six months jail term would commence from September 15, 2014, when Abarshi was arrested and detained.
The convict pledged to apply himself to responsible engagement upon the completion of his jail term.