Court orders flogging of convicts for unlawful possession of drugs

PUNCH — Justice Jonathan Shakarho of the Federal High Court, Ibadan, on Friday ordered two young men, Kamoru Yakeen (22), and Olakunle Odewale (21), to be given strokes of the cane for unlawful possession of Indian hemp.
Yakeen, an apprentice, who had earlier pleaded guilty, was arrested on May 30 at Sooro Village near Igboho, Oyo State, with 370g of the substance at about 11p.m, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.


The prosecutor, Bridget Viashimah, said the offence was contrary to and punishable under Section 19 of the NDLEA Act Cap N. 30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

Before ordering 10 strokes of the cane, Shakarho told Yakeen to apologise to his uncle who was in court to plead on his behalf.

“Tell your uncle that you will not put him into this kind of trouble again,” Shakarho ordered.

Odewale was, however, arrested with 2kg of Indian hemp at Orita-Ijokodo area of Ibadan on May 31 at about 8:30 pm.
He had also earlier pleaded guilty to being unlawfully in possession of the substance, contrary to and punishable under Section 11 (c ) of the NDLEA Act Cap N. 30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
The court, however, witnessed a brief drama when Odewale’s mother ran out crying to the judge for mercy.
“His father left us for Kaduna many years back without looking back. I sold all that I have to send him to school when some people pleaded with me that he was brilliant.
“I sent him to the polytechnic and not to be involved in drugs,” she said.
Shakarho, thereafter, ordered that he should be given 12 strokes of the cane.