A Federal High Court judge, Justice Mohammed Yunusa, of a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, yesterday sentenced a 55-year-old woman, Gado Adams, to six months imprisonment for illicit drug dealing.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) had arraigned the convict, on June 20, 2013, on a one-count charge of dealing in a restricted narcotic, Cannabis Sativa, known in local parlance as Indian hemp.
The offence is said to be contrary to the provisions of sections 11(c) of the NDLEA Act, 2004. The convict had earlier pleaded guilty to the charge while Justice Yunusa adjourned the case for a review of the facts and sentencing.
At the resumed hearing of the proceedings yesterday, the prosecution, represented by Mr Kalu Orji, told the court that the convict was arrested on February 8, 2013, by Customs officials at Gbaji check point in Seme.
The prosecution had told the court that the routine stop and search of motorists, about 8.8 kilograms of the narcotic was found in the possession of the woman, concealed in a black nylon bag.
It added that Gado had imported the illicit substance from Benin Republic for the purpose of trading same in Nigeria before she was apprehended and handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for prosecution.
After reviewing the facts, Justice Yunusa sentenced the woman to six months imprisonment.
The judge however added that the sentence should start running from February 8, 2013, which was the time she was arrested.
