Justice Mohammed Garba of the Federal High Court in Kaduna State has sentenced a 38-year-old woman, Felicia Raymond, to three years imprisonment for dealing in 4.5kg of marijuana.
Raymond was sentenced on Friday, March 31, 2023, following her guilty plea to illegal possession of a substance filed against her by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDELA).
Justice Garba, in his judgment, sentenced the convict with an option of N100,000 fine.
The NDLEA prosecuting counsel, T. J. Atserhegh, had earlier told the court that the convict was arrested with the substance in the Ungwan Rimi area of Kaduna on Feb.13, based on information received on the convict’s activities in the area.
Atserhegh said that the convict was arrested with 4.5kg of marijuana.
He said the offence is punishable under Section 19 of the NDLEA Act, Cap. N30, LFN, 2004 (As Amended).
Based on her guilty plea, the prosecutor reviewed the facts of the case and also urged the court to convict and sentence her according to the prescribed law under which she was charged.
But the defence lawyer, Mr Francis Dauda, pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy as his client was now remorseful.
Dauda also informed the judge that the convict was a first-time offender and urged the court to consider an option of a fine instead of a custodial sentence.