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The High Court in Kono has delivered a strong message in the fight against drug-related crimes, sentencing businessman Yayah Bah to twenty years’ imprisonment for unlawful possession of kush.
Justice Santigie Ibrahim Sorie Bangura handed down the sentence after the accused pleaded guilty to a single count charge under Section 8(a) of the National Drugs Control Act of 2008.
The court heard that on 4th November 2025, at the Kono Judicial District in the Eastern Province, Bah was found in possession of a quantity of kush stored in plastic.
Prosecutor Charles Foday Sesay Esq. called on the court to uphold the law by accepting the guilty plea and convicting the accused.
Meanwhile, defence counsel Alpha Osman Kamara Esq. urged the court to exercise leniency, highlighting that Bah is a first-time offender and a young man capable of rehabilitation. He appealed for a reduced sentence.
In his judgment, Justice Bangura acknowledged the plea for mercy and the accused’s decision to admit guilt early, but maintained that the seriousness of the offence could not be overlooked. He noted that the growing involvement in drug-related activities continues to harm young people across Sierra Leone.
Emphasizing the need for deterrence, the judge imposed a twenty-year custodial sentence and ordered that the confiscated substance be destroyed.
