SIX suspects have been arraigned before the Federal High Court in Lagos over alleged importation and exportation of hard drugs to the United States and Saudi-Arabia through courier.
The six-man syndicate, arraigned by the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) before Justice Nicholas Oweibo in two separate charges, are Olabode Ikotun, Ramon Olanrewaju, Adegboyega Ayodeji, Tayo Ismail, Adekunle Osikomaiya and Tunbosun Jagun.
The six men were alleged to have committed the offence in August 2020, using FedEx Courier Services in various locations within Lagos for the alleged illegal transactions. While Ikotun and Olanrewaju allegedly exported 800 grams of cocaine to Saudi Arabia; Ayodeji, Ismail, Osikomaiya and Jagun were alleged to have imported 485 grams of marijuana from the United States.
NDLEA counsel, Mr F. Owen Dinneys, told the court that Ikotun and Olanrewaju were arrested on August 2020, at the FedEx office where they had gone to send the drug to Saudi Arabia.
He said the defendants packaged the cocaine in packs with tracking numbers 814245601396 and 910729540179.
The prosecutor also told the court that Adegboyega Ayodeji, Tayo Ismail, Adekunle Osikomaiya and Tunbosun Jagun, were arrested on August 13, 2020, at FedEx office while receiving the marijuana in a package with tracking number 395157644451, imported from the United States.
The offences are contrary to and punishable under sections 11(a); 11(b) and 14(b) of the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004. All the defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.
However, lawyers to the defendants, who included Chief (Mrs) Lilian Omotunde, Bolanle Kolawole and Mr E. O. Okenyin, prayed the court to hear their clients’ applications for bail, adding that the prosecutor had been served.
After listening to the bail application submission of parties, Justice Oweibo admitted all the defendants to bail in the sum of N5 million each with two sureties each in like sum. The judge ordered that sureties to Ikotun and Olanrewaju must have landed properties within the jurisdiction of the court, and also ordered that sureties to Ayodeji; Ismail; Osikomaiya and Jagun must be Civil Servants not below Grade Level 10, either from Lagos State or Federal government establishments.
Justice Oweibo, ordered that the defendants should be remanded in the NDLEA custody, pending the fulfilment of their bail conditions, and adjourned the case till October 8, for trial.
