Kemisola Oye
JUSTICE Deinde Dipeolu of a Federal High Court, Lagos has ordered the remand in a correctional facility of the Assistant General Manager of Skyway Handling Company (SAHCO), Olajide Ahmed Kafidipe and seven other employees over alleged drug-related offences.
The judge ordered the defendants to be remanded at the Ikoyi Centre of the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS), till the perfection of their bail conditions.
They were ordered remanded following their arraignment over unlawful possession and transportation of 1,440.90 kilograms of Tramadol 225mg by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
The prosecutor said their offences contravene the provision of sections 14 (b), 21 (2)(d) and 20 (1)(c) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Cap. N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004. And punishable under sections 11 (b) and 20 (2)(b) of the same Act.
All the defendants denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Justice Dipeolu granted them bail on charges bordering on conspiracy, unlawful possession and transportation of 1,440.90 kilograms of Tramadol 225mg, a prohibited substance, by the NDLEA.
Others remanded at the Ikoyi facility of the NCoS’ alongside Olajide include Sanyaolu Rasheed Oladele; Musa Mutalib Opeyemi; Sanamo Alla Daniel; Anuge Evans Isibor; Mahmud Agboola Musa; Udeh Felix and Obinna Henry.
The judge granted them bail after listening to the defendant’s counsel submissions and the prosecutor, Mr. Abu Ibrahim, on the bail applications.
The court admitted each of the defendants to bail in the sum of N5 million with two sureties in like sum.
The court ordered that one of the sureties must be a Grade Level 12 and above in the federal government establishment, while the second surety must be a landed property owner with a Certificate of Occupancy (CofO) among others.
The judge further ordered that all the particulars of the sureties must be verified by the court’s Deputy Chief Registrar (DCR) and subsequently ordered the remand of all the defendants in the Ikoyi Centre of the NCoS as he adjourned to 25 January 2024 for the commencement of trial.
Earlier when they were arraigned, the prosecutor, Mr Ibrahim told the court that the defendants conspired with the trio of Mubarak Sarki Salami, Abdullahi Aliyu a.k.a Aboki and Anwal Monday, who is also a staff of the company but now at large, to commit the offences on or about 25 October 2023.
The prosecutor further informed the court that the Assistant General Manager of SAHCO, Olajide and other staff of the company, conspired among themselves to transport the prohibited drug out of SAHCO Import Shed.
Abu further informed the court that Olajide conspired with Oladele and engaged one Lawal Itunu Temitope, to transport the prohibited substance from SAHCO Import Shed in a Mercedes Benz bus with Registration Number LAGOS MUS 269 YC, owned by Platinum Pacific International Limited.
He further informed the court that Oladele unlawfully possessed the said 1, 440. 90 kilograms of Tramadol 225mg, a Narcotic Analgesic.
Eighteen-Eleven Media