A Federal High Court in Ibadan has sentenced a 70-year-old man, Fidelis Igedi, to a total of 30 months in Correctional Centre for cultivating six acres of Cannabis Sativa.
Delivering judgment on Tuesday, Justice N.E. Maha stated that she convicted and sentenced Igedi based on the evidence tendered before her by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) as well as his guilty plea.
Maha added that she considered the precarious condition the convict might be in with his old age and deteriorating medical condition if the full wrath of the law was applied against him.
The judge also said that she took note of the fact that he was a first-time offender.
She warned that if Igedi returned to the illicit business after completing his jail term, he would not be spared again because his action was a threat to society.
Therefore, Igedi is sentenced to 15 months imprisonment for count one and 15 months imprisonment for count two. Sentencing shall run concurrently, starting from the date he was first arrested. The weed exhibit found in the convict’s possession shall be destroyed by the NDLEA, the judge held.
The defence counsel, Mr Ademola Ariyo had shortly before the judgment prayed the court to temper justice with mercy in sentencing his client.
He said that the old man was sober and regretted his action.
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Ariyo further said that Igedi was down with a serious ailment in addition to being his family’s breadwinner.
Earlier, the NDLEA prosecutor, Mr Daniel Otunla had told the court that the convict was arraigned on a two-count charge bordering on unlawful cultivation and dealing in narcotics.
According to Otunla, the convict was arrested on Aug. 13 2024, in a bush in Oluyole Local Government area of Ibadan, Oyo State.
He said that the convict was apprehended by NDLEA operatives on the six acres of Cannabis plantation in possession of a white sack also containing 7.3kg of the dry illicit substance.
The prosecutor said that the offence contravened the provisions of sections 19 (A) and (C ) of the NDLEA Act Cap 30 law of the Federation 2004.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the above-stated Act prescribes a maximum of life imprisonment for anyone convicted.
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