A Federal High Court in Osogbo, Osun State, on Wednesday sentenced Musa Raji Mohammed to four years in prison for the illegal transportation of 10.7 kilograms of Cannabis Sativa.
Mohammed had pleaded guilty to charges of illicit drug trafficking brought against him. Justice Mashkur Salisu, delivering the judgment, said the prosecution had successfully proven its case, leading to the conviction.
The trial began on March 13, 2024, following Mohammed’s arraignment by the Federal Government, represented by counsel Olufemi Ijimakin. The charges stated that on or about March 1, 2024, Mohammed unlawfully trafficked cannabis along the Gbongan-Ibadan Expressway, in violation of Section 11(b) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act.
During the trial, the prosecution called three witnesses and submitted 10 exhibits to support its case.
Justice Salisu noted that the offense could have carried a life sentence but exercised judicial discretion by sentencing Mohammed to four years in prison without an option of fine. He explained that the sentence was intended to deter others from committing similar crimes.
The judge also ordered that the cannabis be destroyed and the motorcycle used to transport it be forfeited to the Federal Government.
In a related development, authorities recently sentenced five members of an international organized criminal group to a total of 21 years in prison for drug trafficking. Three of the convicts—Olasupo Michael Oladimeji, Muaezee Ademola Ogunbiyi, and Sola Adegoke—were found guilty of trafficking 17.9 kilograms of cocaine and 20.5 kilograms of cannabis through Lagos. They were each sentenced to five years in prison without the option of a fine, and vehicles used in the crimes were forfeited to the Federal Government.
