Unemployed University Student Committed at Kenema High Court Over Cannabis Possession

Unemployed University Student Committed at Kenema High Court Over Cannabis Possession

John Samuel, an unemployed university student residing in Sheriff Town, Bo City, is heading to the High Court in Kenema following a key ruling on September 1, 2026. Presiding Magistrate Hadiru Daboh of Kenema Magistrate Court No. 1 committed Samuel to stand trial on charges of unlawful possession and use of drugs, contrary to Section 8(a) of the National Drugs Control Act of 2008.

The specifics of the charge were formally delivered to the courtroom by Court Registrar Moses Ganawa. According to court records, law enforcement intercepted Samuel on Monday, July 6, 2026, at the Wanjama Police Checkpoint in Small-Bo Chiefdom, located within Sierra Leone's Eastern Province. 

Officers discovered him in possession of two loose parcels of cannabis sativa without legal authorization.

With no plea taken during the preliminary proceedings, Magistrate Daboh evaluated the presented evidence and concluded that the prosecution had fully established a prima facie case against the accused.

Reflecting on the thorough presentation by the prosecution, Magistrate Daboh ruled that the matter must proceed to trial at the High Court in Kenema.

Following the ruling, Samuel was remanded in custody at the Sierra Leone Correctional Centre (SLCC) in Kenema pending trial.

The case for the state was prosecuted by Woman Police Sergeant Bakarr Watta of the Legal and Justice Support Department, Kenema Police Division.