Court Remands Businessman In Prison For Drug Trafficking

Justice Akintayo Aluko of the Federal High Court in Lagos had remanded a businessman, Obazee Eguagie at the Ikoyi Centre of the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS) for alleged unlawful exportation of tramadol.

Justice Aluko, who presided over the court, ordered that the alleged hard drug merchant be kept behind bars after he pleaded guilty to a four-count charge of unlawful possession and attempt to illegally export the banned drug

The judge had fixed June 22 for the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to review the facts of the case against the defendant and for his sentencing.

The prosecutor, Abu Ibrahim, had told the court that the defendant was arrested on February 23, 2023, at the Gate ‘B’ Departure Hall of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, during the outward clearance of Turkish Airline Flight from Lagos to Milan, Italy via Istanbul, Turkey.

Ibrahim listed the different brands of tramadol that the defendant was arrested with as 10.60kilograms of Tramadol 225mg, 600 grammes of Tramadol 200mg, 800 grammes of Tramadol 100mg and 19 Grams of Rohypnol 1mg.

He also told the court that the offence contravened Section 20 (1) (c) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and is punishable under Section 20 (2) (c) of the said Act.

Following the defendant’s guilty plea, the prosecutor urged the court to remand the defendant until he determined the offences against him.

But the defence lawyer, Orlando Charles, urged the court to compel the prosecutor to review the facts since his client had pleaded guilty to the charges.

Responding, the prosecutor told the court to discountenance the counsel’s submissions on the ground that the matter was only slated for the defendant’s plea.

The court also acceded to the prosecutor’s submissions and held that the matter was fixed to take the defendant’s plea.

Consequently, Justice Aluko adjourned the case to June 22 and ordered that the defendant be remanded at the Ikoyi Centre of the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS).