By Fatima Kpaka
Sierra Leone — November 20, 2025: Justice Mark Ngegba of the High Court in Freetown has sentenced 70-year-old Ya-Kadiatu Barrie to 31 years in prison after she pleaded guilty to charges of unlawful possession of prohibited drugs, including Kush and Tramadol.
Barrie was arraigned on three counts:
- Keeping a prohibited drug, contrary to Regulation 15 of the Drugs and Substance Abuse Public Emergency Response Regulations 2024.
- Unlawful possession of drugs, contrary to Section 8(a) of the National Drug Control Act 2008 (Act No. 10 of 2008).
- Related offences under the same Act.
According to the indictment, Barrie was arrested on October 20, 2025, in Makeni, Bombali District, Northern Province, with 40 grams of Kush and 60.4 grams of Tramadol, both without lawful authority.
Court Proceedings
When the charges were read and explained, Barrie pleaded guilty. State Counsel C.P. Williams relied on the particulars of the offence and her plea.
In her allocutus, Barrie pleaded for mercy, citing her advanced age and poor health. Defense Counsel A.K. Dauda also urged the court to consider her age and the fact that she did not waste judicial time by pleading guilty.
The prosecution, however, requested a minimum of 10 years on counts two and three, and up to 18 years on count one.
The Ruling
Justice Ngegba acknowledged both the plea for mercy and the seriousness of drug abuse in Sierra Leone. He emphasized that narcotics are destroying communities but noted Barrie’s age in his judgment.
He sentenced her as follows:
- Count One (Kush possession): 17 years
- Count Two (Tramadol possession): 7 years
- Count Three (related offence): 7 years
The sentences are to run concurrently, amounting to 31 years imprisonment.
Justice Ngegba concluded that while the court sympathizes with Barrie’s age, the gravity of drug offences requires firm punishment to deter others.