The arraignment of a 42-year-old female Indian national, Ms. Neetu, on charges of alleged drug trafficking was on Tuesday stalled at the Federal High Court in Kano State due to the absence of a language interpreter.
Ms. Neetu, who is accused of smuggling 11 kilogrammes of heroin into Nigeria, could not take her plea when the matter was called before Justice Simon Amobeda, as her lawyer, B.Y. Gambo, informed the court that his client neither understand or speak English language.
Gambo argued that the responsibility to provide an interpreter lies with the prosecution, not the defence. He said he had already spent substantial amounts in foreign currency to facilitate interpretation and would no longer shoulder the cost.
“The provision of an interpreter is a duty of the prosecution,” Gambo told the court. “I cannot continue to expend dollars on interpretation services.”
In response, counsel to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Umar Hussain, dismissed the claim as a ploy to frustrate and delay trial. He suggested that the accused should continue to communicate through available means to expedite the trial.
However, Justice Amobeda ruled in favour of the defence, stating that it was indeed the prosecution’s duty to ensure that a qualified interpreter is provided for the accused to understand the charges against her.
The judge consequently adjourned the matter to June 4, 2025, for possible arraignment, on the condition that an interpreter is made available. He also ordered that Ms. Neetu remains in the custody of the NDLEA until the next court date.
LEADERSHIP reports that Ms. Neetu was arrested on March 14, 2025, by NDLEA operatives at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) in Kano after disembarking from Qatar Airways flight from Bangkok, Thailand, via Vietnam and Doha.
A search of her luggage allegedly led to the discovery of 72 parcels of heroin concealed and disguised as chocolate.
