Kano, Nigeria – A Federal High Court in Kano has sentenced 45-year-old Jonathan Nuhu to 15 years in prison for illegal possession of cannabis. The judgment was delivered on March 17, 2026, by Justice M.N. Yunusa at Court No. 2.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) confirmed that the sentence takes effect immediately. NDLEA spokesperson in Kano, Sadiq Muhammad Maigatari, said Nuhu was arrested on July 20, 2023, near Wudil Bridge in Kano State, where operatives recovered 116 bags of cannabis from him.
“You may recall that Mr. Nuhu was apprehended by NDLEA operatives on 20 July 2023 near Wudil Bridge,” Maigatari said. He added that the suspect was promptly taken to court after his arrest. “After three years of investigation and prosecution, the court returned a verdict of guilty and imposed the custodial sentence,” he said.
NDLEA also revealed that this is not Nuhu’s first conviction. He had previously been sentenced to 15 years in prison by a Federal High Court in Jigawa State in June 2021 for a similar offence. He was out on bail appealing that conviction when he was arrested again in Kano.
Investigations indicate that Nuhu is linked to a wider drug trafficking network operating across northern Nigeria. NDLEA Kano Commander, CN D.Y. Lawal, commended officers and the legal team for their efforts in securing the conviction.
“This judgment reinforces our resolve to pursue suspected drug traffickers relentlessly, including those who attempt to continue illegal activities while on bail,” Lawal said. He praised the legal team for their persistence in ensuring the case was concluded and reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to fighting drug crimes, pledging to track and prosecute offenders until justice is served.
