Freetown, Sierra Leone – The Judiciary of Sierra Leone reports that High Court Judge, Honourable Justice Mark Ngegba, has sentenced David Johnson, a motor driver, to thirty (30) years’ imprisonment for transporting prohibited drugs without lawful authority.
Johnson, a resident of Deep Eye Water along the Waterloo Highway in the east end of Freetown, was arraigned before the High Court on two counts of Transportation of Prohibited Drugs without Lawful Authority, contrary to Section 7(b) of the National Drugs Control Act, 2008, Act No. 10 of 2008, and Unlawful Possession of Drugs, contrary to Section 8a of the Drugs Control Act, 2008, Act No. 10 of 2008.
According to the particulars of the offence, on Tuesday, 13th May 2025, at the Mile 18 Police Checkpoint, Kambia Police Division, in the Kambia Judicial District, Northern Province of Sierra Leone, Johnson transported eighty-nine (89) compressed parcels of cannabis sativa without lawful authority.
In his statement to the Court, Johnson admitted to the offence, stating that he is a motor driver by profession and operates a red and yellow Nissan vehicle with registration number AUX 384. He explained that he did not know the package he was asked to transport by one Jelika Conteh contained illegal drugs, and pleaded with the Court for mercy.
Defence Counsel M.K. Dauda pleaded with the Court to temper justice with mercy, arguing that his client transported the parcels unknowingly and had no prior knowledge of their contents.
In delivering his judgment, Honourable Justice Mark Ngegba noted that while he took into account the accused’s guilty plea and the mitigation statement from defence counsel, he also considered the gravity of the offence and the devastating impact of drug trafficking on society. He emphasized that drug-related crimes undermine public safety and national development and therefore must be met with appropriate punishment to deter others.
Consequently, on count one, Justice Ngegba sentenced David Johnson to twenty-five (25) years’ imprisonment, and on count two, to five (5) years’ imprisonment, with both sentences to run concurrently.
The Judiciary of Sierra Leone states that this sentence reflects the country’s commitment to combating drug trafficking and promoting public safety.
