Kano man bags 10years jail term for drug trafficking

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As part of efforts by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, in Kano to rid the state of illicit drug activities, a notorious drug trafficker, Muhammad Sambo has been reportedly sentenced to 10 years imprisonment.

Sambo, alongside seven other persons charged for drug trafficking offences were recently arrested by the Kano State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency and subsequently sentenced to prison by a Federal High Court in the state presided over by Justice S.A. Amobeda.

Delivering judgement, Justice Amobeda held that the suspect was found guilty beyond reasonable doubt and convicted therewith tobten years in prison with no option of fine.

Meanwhile, a statement by the Public Relations Officer of the Kano State command of the NDLEA, Sadiq Maigatari, which was made available to journalists on Monday, revealed that Sambo’s arrest end eventual conviction by the law court was was led by the state Commander, Abubakar Ahmad.

According to him, the NDLEA commander has been relentless in his efforts to rid the state of illicit drug activities, adding that the successful prosecution sends a clear message to all those involved in the illegal trade and transportation of cannabis and other illicit substances that Kano is not a base for them.

The statement read, “Sambo, whose operation involved transporting large quantities of cannabis sativa from Ondo and other Southern states to the Nort, was apprehended on November 11, 2020.

“NDLEA officers on patrol along the Kano-Zaria Road became suspicious and stopped a Honda Accord that initially refused to stop. After a pursuit, the suspect was arrested in the Hotoro area of Kano State.

“Subsequent investigations led to the discovery of 201kg of dried leaves suspected to be cannabis sativa in Sambo’s vehicle. The suspect’s real identity and his residence in Lokogoma, Abuja, were later confirmed.

“Laboratory tests on the substance confirmed it as cannabis sativa, solidifying the case against Sambo. The convict was found guilty of trafficking in cannabis sativa, a violation of the NDLEA Act.”

This therefore, adds to the number of feats recorded by the Kano state command of the NDLEA after series of operations had been carried out and yielding a number of arrests, confiscations and convictions in the recent past.

Recall that, the command had recently, reportedly said that it seized 3.6 tonnes of illicit drugs in three months.

The Kano State commander of the agency, Abubakar Idris-Ahmad, the Cable reported, said 241 suspects were also arrested during the period between July and September and that the illicit drugs seized were 3.4 tonnes of Indian hemp, 274.1kg of codeine and tramadol, 0.4kg of cocaine, 0.013kg of heroin and 0.0334kg of methamphetamine.

While noting that about 132 other cases were still pending as at the time, Idris-Ahmad said the NDLEA had secured 18 convictions of drug traffickers and users out of the 29 cases filed in the last three months while appealing to members of the public to provide useful and timely information on drug abuse and trafficking to the agency for immediate action.

His statement read:

“The NDLEA sensitised more than 4,000 individuals, students, traditional rulers and security personnel on drug abuse prevention, and successfully rehabilitated 22 users struggling with drug dependence,” he said.

“The agency plays a pivotal role in safeguarding public health, ensuring economic stability, and enhancing the nation’s international reputation.”