The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has arraigned a businessman, Uchenna Igboaka who allegedly imported a container loaded with Tramadol weighing 2,346.9 kilograms, before a Federal High Court, Lagos
The businessman was arraigned before Justice Nicholas Oweibo led-court, on a two count-charge of unlawful importation of the said banned drugs.
The prosecutor, Mr. Fingere Dinneys, told Justice Oweibo that the defendant committed the offence between July and August, this year.
He told the court that the defendant without lawful authority imported 40 cartoons of Tramadol tablet weighing 225. 6 kilograms, adding that he equally imported 255 cartons of same tablet, weighing 2,121.3 kilograms.
He told the court that the defendant unlawfully brought in the banned tablets in two 40 feet containers marked SEGU 6326800 and TCNU 4653816, from Pakistan.
The prosecutor, Dinneys told the court that the offences committed by the defendant contravened sections 11(a) and 11(3)of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap N30, Laws and punishable under the same Act.
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The defendant, however pleaded not guilty to the charges after it was read to him.
Following his not guilty plea, the prosecutor pleaded with the court for a date for trial, while aslo asked the court to remand him in the custody of Nigerian Correctional Services (NCS) pending the determination of the charge.
However, counsel to the businessman, Chief Benson Ndakara, while informing the court of not objecting the trial date, however, said his client’s bail application has been filed and same has been served on the prosecution.
Justice Oweibo, upon taken arguments on the bail application, said that prosecution’s counter to the bail application was not strong enough not to grant the application.
Consequently, Justice Oweibo admitted bail to the defendant in the sum of N10 million with two sureties in like sum.
The judge ordered that the two sureties must be owner of landed properties within the jurisdiction of the court, with the evidence of tax payment for three consecutive years.
The judge ordered that the defendant be remanded in NDLEA’s custody, pending the fulfilment of the bail terms.
The matter has been adjourned till October 27, for the defendant’s trial.
