2 men remanded in prison over alleged drug trafficking

The Federal High Court, Lagos, has remanded in prison Okonkwo Victor and Bankole Johnson, over alleged illicit dealing in cocaine.

Okonkwo and Bankole, also known as Rotimi Adekunle, were charged before the Justice Hadiza Rabiu-Shagari by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in account of unlawful dealing in the banned substance.

NDLEA prosecutor, Kunle Adebajo, told the court that the suspects were arrested at the EMS section of Marina Post Office, on July 15, 2017, where they had gone to receive 200 grammes of cocaine sent to them by an unknown accomplice.

He said the offences committed contravene Section 11(b) of the NDLEA Act, Cap. N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

However, the defendants, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The prosecutor enjoined the court to set a trial date and also to remand the suspects in prison until the determination of the case.

READ ALSO: NDLEA arrests 3 persons over drug trafficking

Lawyers to the defendants, Mr. Anthony Nnamoko and Chief Lilian Omotunde, jointly informed the court that they were not gainst the prosecutor’s application for a trial date, but appealed that the court grants their clients bail in the most liberal terms.

Nnamoko and Omotunde informed the court that they had individually filed an application for their clients’ bail, and attached to the said applications affidavits and written addresses.

The lawyers also said their clients had competent surety to stand for them.

In response to the defendants’ bail applications, the NDLEA’s prosecutor, Adebajo, enjoined the court to dismiss the defendants’ bail applications due to the gravity of the offence committed by the defendants.

Consequently, Justice Shagari, ruled that the two defendants be remanded in custody, until when she would rule on their bail applications.

She  adjourned the trial of the defendants to November 20, 2017.