National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arraigned a Lagos socialite, Funmilola Arike Ogbuaya, also known as Ariket, alongside her alleged convicted accomplice, Odeyemi Omolola, who is currently serving 25 years imprisonment, for drug trafficking.
The two women, who are also known as Funmilola Ogundipe and Ariyo Monsurat Olabisi, respectively, were arraigned before Justice Deinde Dipeolu of the Federal High Court in Lagos on a four-count charge of conspiracy, unlawful possession, aiding and abetting and attempt to smuggle 1.595 kilogrammes of cocaine to Saudi Arabia.
The defendants were first arraigned before Justice Hadizat Rabiu-Shagari (now a justice of the Court of Appeal) sometime in 2017 on a five-count charge of conspiracy, aiding and abetting, unlawful possession of the banned drug, and attempt to export the said banned drug to Saudi Arabia.
While the convicted Odeyemi Omolara was arraigned on the charge of conspiracy, unlawful possession of the banned drug, and attempt to export the said banned drug to Saudi Arabia, Ariket, was arraigned on the charge of conspiracy, aiding, abetting and procuring the convict to traffic the prohibited drug.
They had pleaded not guilty to the charges, and were admitted to bail on various terms by the court.
However, during the course of the trial, the convict informed the court of her intention to change her plea, which the court granted.
After the charge was re-reading to her, she pleaded guilty to the charge of attempting to export the prohibited drug to Saudi Arabia illegally, and she was sentenced to 25 years imprisonment.
Dissatisfied with Justice Shagari’s verdict, the convict, through her lawyer, appealed her conviction.
However, NDLEA, through its lawyer, Abu Ibrahim, filed a counter to the appeal and urged the court to affirm the convict’s conviction.
Delivering judgment on the appeal, the three-person panel led by Justice Ebiowei Tobi, on February 26, 2021, dismissed the appeal for lacking merit while affirming Justice Shagari’s judgment.
However, almost eight years after their first arraignment, both the socialite, Ariket and her convicted conspirator, Ariyo Monsurat Olabisi, were arraigned on four counts charge of conspiracy, unlawful possession of the prohibited drugs, aiding and abetting and procuring of the convict to possess the drug, before Justice Deinde Isaac Dipeolu.
