By Fatima Kpaka
KONO, March 2026: – The High Court in Kono has sentenced businessman Abdulai Shabab Yayah Bah to 20 years imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of drugs, specifically kush.
Justice Santigie Ibrahim Sorie Bangura delivered the ruling, convicting Bah under Section 8(a) of the National Drugs Control Act 2008.
According to the indictment, Bah was arrested on November 4, 2025, in the Kono Judicial District, Eastern Province, after being found in possession of plastic kush.
State Prosecutor Charles Foday Sesay Esq. urged the court to adopt the defendant’s guilty plea and convict him accordingly.
Plea for Leniency
Defense counsel Alpha Osman Kamara Esq. pleaded for mercy, noting that Bah was a first‑time offender and a young man with the potential to reform. He asked the court to consider the minimum sentence.
In his ruling, Justice Bangura acknowledged the plea mitigation but stressed the seriousness of the offense. He noted that the convict’s actions, along with those of other offenders, have negatively impacted Sierra Leone’s youth.
“The conduct of the defendant is despicable. Together with other convicts, he has harmed the lives of the youthful population of Sierra Leone. The court must take tough action,” Justice Bangura stated.
He sentenced Bah to 20 years imprisonment and ordered that the seized substance be destroyed.