National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA)
By Onozure Dania, Lagos
Six men suspected to be members of a hard drug syndicate, were arraigned before a Federal High Court, sitting in Lagos, over alleged exportation and importation of hard drugs to Saudi-Arabia and United States of America (USA) through posting.
The six man-syndicate, who were docked before Justice Nicholas Oweibo, in two separate charges are: Olabode Ikotun, Ramon Olanrewaju, Adegboyega Ayodeji, Tayo Ismail, Adekunle Osikomaiya, and Tunbosun Jagun, by the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
The defendants were alleged to have committed the offence in August, 2020 and were also alleged to have used FedEx Courier Services located on Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Kakawa Lagos Island and NAHCO, Ikeja, Lagos State.
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While the duo of Olabode Ikotun and Ramon Olanrewaju were alleged to have exported 800 grams of Cocaine to Saudi Arabia. Adegboyega Ayodeji, Tayo Ismail, Adekunle Osikomaiya, and Tunbosun Jagun, were alleged to have imported 485 grams of Cannabis Sativa, popularly called marijuana from United States of America (USA).
NDLEA Prosecutor, Mr Owen Dinneys, told the court that Ikotun and Olanrewaju were arrested on August 2020, at the FedEx Courier Services office located at Awolowo road, Ikoyi and Kakawa, Lagos Island, where they have gone to send the drug to Saudi Arabia.
He said the defendants packed the Cocaine in a package with tracking numbers 814245601396 and 910729540179.
Dinneys also told the court that Ayodeji, Ismail, Osikomaiya, and Jagun, were arrested on August 13, 2020, at FedEx Courier services, NAHCO, Ikeja, Lagos, while receiving the Marijuana in a package with tracking number 395157644451, imported from the USA.
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He said the offences committed 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. The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge preferred against them.
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.
