Justice Deinde Dipeolu of the Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday granted an assistant general manager of Skyway Handling Company (SAHCO), Olajide Kafidipe, and seven employees of the company accused of drug trafficking, bail.
Justice Dipeolu admitted them to bail each in the sum of N5 million with two sureties in like sum.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) had on Tuesday arraigned Kafidipe and others before Justice Deinde Dipeolu on four-count charges of conspiracy, unlawful importation and possession of 1,440.90 kilograms of Tramadol.
Other defendants in the case are Sanyaolu Rasheed Oladele, Musa Mutalib Opeyemi, Sanamo Alla Daniel, Anuge Evans Isibor; Mahmud Agboola Musa; Udeh Felix and Obinna Henry.
The prosecutor, Abu Ibrahim, had earlier informed the judge that the defendants conspired with the trio of Mubarak Sarki Salami, Abdullahi Aliyu, a.k.a Aboki and Anwal Monday, who is also a staff of the company but now at large, to commit the offences on or about October 25, 2023.
Ibrahim, also alleged that the defendants conspired amongst themselves to transport 1 440.90 kilograms of Tramadol 225mg, a Narcotic, through the SAHCO Import Shed.
As part of the conditions attached to the bail, one sureties to be produced by defendants must be a Grade Level 12 and above in a federal government establishment, while second surety must be a landed property owner with a Certificate of Occupancy (CofO)
The judge also ordered that all the particulars of the sureties must be verified by the court’s Deputy Chief Registrar (DCR)
Consequently, the judge ordered the remand of all the defendants in the Ikoyi Center of the NCoS. At the same time, they were adjourned to January 25 for the commencement of trial.
