Justice Salim Ibrahim of the Federal High Court in Jalingo, Taraba State, has sentenced two men to imprisonment for dealing in cannabis and psychotropic substances. The convicts, 44-year-old Baba Usman and 22-year-old Ammar Abdullahi, were sentenced after pleading guilty to the charges brought against them by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
Baba Usman was sentenced to six months imprisonment for two counts, and Ammar Abdullahi was sentenced to one year for four counts. Both sentences will run concurrently from the date of their incarceration at the NDLEA facility, and there is no option for a fine.
In his judgment, Justice Ibrahim noted that when a defendant pleads guilty to a non-capital offence and the court is satisfied that the defendant understands the charge and intends to admit all the elements of the offence, the court must convict and sentence the defendant. He stated that after considering the defendants’ confessions, the prosecution’s evidence, and the exhibits presented, the court was convinced of their guilt. The court also took into account the plea for leniency made by the defendants’ counsel, A.M. Vakude.
