Ramon Oladimeji
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency on Friday brought one David Achebe before the Federal High Court in Lagos for allegedly trafficking in 935 grammes of cocaine.
The agency claimed that Achebe swallowed the illicit substance and was arrested on December 21, 2016, at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, while attempting to make his way out of the country to Hong Kong.
In a charge marked, FHC/L/36C/17, which it presented before the court on Friday, the agency said Achebe was arrested by its operatives at the NDLEA Screening Point II, during the outward clearance of Ethiopian Airline.
The accused was arraigned before Justice Oluremi Oguntoyinbo on two counts.
In the charges, the NDLEA said Achebe “without lawful authority exported 935g of cocaine, which you swallowed yourself, in your home.”
The prosecuting counsel for the agency, Mrs. Juliana Iroabuchi, told Justice Oguntoyinbo that the accused acted contrary to Section 11 (b) (d) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, Cap N30, Law of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 and was liable to being punished under the same law.
Achebe, however, pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to him.
In view of his not guilty plea, the prosecutor, Iroabuchi, urged the judge to fix a date for trial, saying she had about 10 witnesses to call to prove the case.
The defence counsel, Mr. Oke Ojakovo, informed the judge that he had filed a bail application for his client and had served same on the prosecutor.
But the prosecutor told the judge that she wished to oppose the bail application, adding that she needed two days to file her response.
Consequently, Justice Oguntoyinbo adjourned till March 20, 2017, to hear the application for bail while she fixed May 3, 2017 for commencement of trial.
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