An Assistant General Manager of Skyway Handling Company (SAHCO), Olajide Ahmed Kafidipe, and seven employees of the company, have been arraigned before Justice Dehinde Dipeolu for alleged unlawful dealing in prohibited drugs.
Olajide was docked alongside the seven on three counts bordering on conspiracies, unlawful importation and possession of 1,440.90 kilograms of Tramadol by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
The seven staffers of the company arraigned alongside Olajide are Sanyaolu Rasheed Oladele; Musa Mutalib Opeyemi; Sanamo Alla Daniel; Anuge Evans Isibor; Mahmud Agboola Musa, Udeh Felix and Obinna Henry.
Prosecuting Abu Ibrahim told the court that the defendants conspired with the trio of Mubarak Sarki Salami, Abdullahi Aliyu a.k.a Aboki and Anwal Monday, now at large, to commit the offences on October 25, 2023.
The prosecutor further told the court that Olajide and other staff of the company, conspired amongst themselves to transport 1,440.90 kilograms of Tramadol 225mg, a Narcotic, from SAHCO Import Shed.
He also told the court that Olajide conspired with Oladele, and procured one Lawal Itunu Temitope, to transport the prohibited substance from SAHCO Import Shed in a Mercedes Benz Bus with Registration Number LAGOS MUS269YC, belonging to 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.
The prosecutor told the court that the offences committed by the defendants contravened 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.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges against them.
Following their not guilty plea, the prosecutor, Abu Ibrahim, asked the court for a trial date and also urged the court to remand them in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS) pending the determination of the case.
But lawyers to the defendants, told the court that they have filed their clients’ bail application except that of the Assistant General Manager, Kafidipe Ahmed Olajide and Obinna Henry.
The lawyers requested for a short date to enable them to file the bail applications for the duo.
Consequently, the prosecutor prayed the court to remand the defendants pending the hearing of the bail applications.
Trial judge, Justice Dipeolu, in his reasoning, ordered the NDLEA to call their Airport Commander to allow the defendants to be remanded in their custody till Wednesday (today ) when their bail applications would be heard and determined. The matter was adjourned till January 24 for commencement of trial.
The NDLEA also arraigned a 30-year-old man, Danladi Saidu, before a Federal High Court, Abuja, for alleged possession of 20kgs of Cannabis Sativa (aka Marijuana).
Saidu, pleaded not guilty when the one-count charge was read to him through an interpreter.
Following his plea, the prosecuting counsel, Ms C.P Onyedeke, asked the court for a date for trial.
She also prayed the court to remand the defendant at the Kuje Correctional Centre, pending the hearing and determination of an application for bail.
The trial judge, Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia adjourned the case until February 23 for trial.
According to the charge, Saidu was arrested on July 11, 2023, along the Abaji-Lokoja expressway in possession of the narcotic substance without lawful authority.
