The Ibadan Division of the Federal High Court on Tuesday sentenced a 24-year-old hemp farmer, Monday Ode, to six years in prison for cultivating 51kg of the illicit substance.

The presiding judge, Justice Ekerete Akpan, convicted and sentenced Ode based on the evidence made available by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and his plea of guilt.

The judge, however, said he considered the convict’s plea for mercy in sentencing him, especially because he was a first-time offender.

He warned Mr Ode to keep away from any form of crime after completing his jail term, as he might spend the rest of his life in prison if caught again.

The judge consequently sentenced Ode to three years in prison for the two offences, starting when he was first detained in the NDLEA facility.

Akpan added that the sentencing would run concurrently.

NDLEA’s counsel, O.O. Olorunsola, had told the court that the convict was arraigned on a two-count charge bordering on unlawful cultivation and dealing in hemp.

Ms Olorunsola further said Mr Ode was arrested on September 12, 2023, in the Apata area of Ibadan.

She said the NDLEA operatives acted on a tip-off from concerned members of the community that Ode, an indigene of Benue, had converted a piece of land to a marijuana plantation, cultivating 51kg of the weed substance.

She noted that the operatives found the convict on the land he used for the hemp farm in Apata and apprehended him.

(NAN)