The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency on Wednesday arraigned five suspects arrested during a raid on a warehouse where cocaine valued at N194.8bn were seized in the Ikorodu area of Lagos State.
The defendants including Soji Oke, Wasiu Akinade, Emmanuel Chukwu, Oguntolure Sunday, and a Jamaican, Kelvin Smith, were arraigned before a Federal High Court sitting in the state.
They are facing six counts bordering on conspiracy, unlawful importation of 2,139.55 kilograms of cocaine, engaging in the organisation, management and financing of a drug trafficking organisation and unlawful possession of drugs.
The agency’s prosecuting counsel, Umar Hussain, said the defendants were arrested with the drugs between the months of July and September 18 and 19, 2022.
The prosecutor said the offences committed were contrary to Sections 14 (b): 20 (1)(g); 11 and 19 of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act CAP N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 (as amended) and punishable under Sections 20 (2)(b) of the same Act.
However, the defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges against them.
In view of their not guilty plea, the prosecutor asked the court for a trial date and equally urged the court to remand them in prison custody till the determination of the charges against them.
Meanwhile the defendants counsel, Benson Ndakara and Liliana Omotunde, asked the court to grant their clients bail in the most liberal terms.
Ndakara particularly told the court that two of his clients, Oke and Akinade, had health issues.
After listening to counsels’ arguments on the bail application, Justice Peter Lifu ordered the remand of all the defendants in the Ikoyi Correctional Centre, till January 17, 2023, when ruling would be delivered on the bail application.
