Man Sentenced To Life In Prison Over Cannabis

A 42-year old man in Maiduguri, Borno State, North East Nigeria, has been sentenced to life in prison for dealing in cannabis.

Justice Bature Gafair of the Federal High Court in Maiduguri handed a life jail sentence to Saje Modu Askira after he was rearrested by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, while on bail for a similar offence.

“It is obvious that he is yet to learn any lesson and practically lacks remorse. It will be difficult for him to be of good conduct because while on bail he was caught selling cannabis. There is no enough evidence to prove his innocence. He is therefore found guilty as charged and sentenced to life imprisonment,” Justice Gafair said in sentencing Askira.

NDLEA Chairman, Ahmadu Giade, was quoted to have said: “This judgment is a welcome development. It is in line with our thinking that a desperate malady certainly deserves a desperate solution. This section of the law is a pointer to the adequacy of the law. It will surly serve as a lesson to others.”

According to NDLEA Commander in Borno State, Mr. Ona Ogilegwu, “No doubt, this ruling will change the face of our operations in the state. People will also begin to appreciate the fact that cannabis carries a serious penalty in line with the NDLEA Act. This convict is a notorious cannabis dealer who was first caught in 2005 with 3.7kg of cannabis. While he was on bail, he was re-arrested in 2007 with 1.7kg of cannabis. So, this is good news to us in the agency because it is the first time in the state that a drug convict will get a life sentence.”

In a statement, NDLEA Head of Public Affairs, Mitchell Ofoyeju said: “Under section 11 C of the NDLEA Act, Cap N30 laws of the federation 2004, anybody who sells, buys, exposes or offers for sale or otherwise deals in or with the drugs popularly known as cocaine, LSD, heroin or any other similar drugs shall be guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to be sentenced to imprisonment for life.”