4 Comments The High Court in Freetown has sentenced 70-year-old Ya-Kadiatu Barrie to an aggregate term of 31 years’ imprisonment after she pleaded guilty to multiple drug-related offences, including the unlawful possession of the substance commonly known as Kush.
The sentencing was delivered on Thursday, November 20, by Justice Mark Ngegba, following Ms. Barrie’s admission of guilt to three separate charges. These included keeping a prohibited drug contrary to Regulation 15 of the Drugs and Substance Abuse Public Emergency Response Regulations of 2024, unlawful possession of drugs under Section 8(a) of the National Drug Control Act of 2008, and related offences.
According to the indictment, Ms. Barrie was arrested on October 20, 2025, in Makeni, Bombali District, after law enforcement officers found her in possession of 40 grams of Kush and 60.4 grams of Tramadol, for which she had no lawful authorization.
Once the charges were read in court, Ms. Barrie entered a guilty plea, allowing the prosecution, led by State Counsel C.P. Williams, to rely on the particulars of the offence without contest. The court subsequently recorded a guilty verdict on all counts.
During her allocutus, Ms. Barrie appealed for leniency, citing her advanced age and declining health, arguing that imprisonment would further deteriorate her condition. Her defence counsel, A.K. Dauda, also urged the court to consider her cooperation and the absence of any delay on her part throughout the proceedings.
The prosecution, however, recommended a significant custodial sentence, requesting a minimum of ten years on counts two and three, and up to eighteen years on count one, reflecting the increasing national concern over drug misuse.
In his judgment, Justice Ngegba acknowledged the arguments for clemency but underscored the growing threat of drug abuse in Sierra Leone, noting that the impact of such substances on communities could not be overlooked.
He subsequently imposed 17 years for the possession of Kush, 7 years for unlawful possession of Tramadol, and an additional 7 years for keeping prohibited substances. Though the sentences run concurrently, the combined term amounts to 31 years in prison.
The case highlights the judiciary’s continued firm stance on drug-related offences amid rising concerns about substance abuse across the country.
RIP IN ADVANCE😭😭
Really she commit a very big and bad crime but 31 years is too much for her (70).
Even 50 years is not enough for her
She deserves it, they are the people who distort our brothers, and friends’ lives sure act will not be considered about age.
She gets what she ordered.