By Jude-Ken Ojinnaka
Two accused drug barons, Eze Charles Chinedu and Nwobodo Chidiebere Basil, were on Friday docked by an anti-narcotic agency, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) before Federal High Court sitting in Lagos over alleged conspiracy and the unlawful export of 30.10kg of prohibited substance, Methamphetamine.
Eze, 43 and Nwobodo 35, were docked on the alleged offences before the court presided over by Justice Daniel Osiagor
According to the charge preferred against the defendants by NDLEA and filed by the prosecutor, Mr Augustine Nwagu, the defendants were alleged to have conspired with one Fredrick Obunwa (now at large) to illegally export 30.10 Kilogrammes of Methamphetamine to London, United Kingdom.
The prosecutor told the court that the defendants were arrested on May 16, at SAHCOL Export Shed at Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, during the examination and clearing of cargo for export to London.
According to the charge, the offences committed by the two defendants, contravened Sections 14(b) and 11(b) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
After listening to the charge preferred against them, the two defendants pleaded not guilty to all the counts.
Consequent upon their ‘not guilty’ plea, Prosecutor Nwagu applied to the court for a trial date and at same time, urged the court to remand the duo in the custody the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS) till the determination of the charges.
However, the defence counsel, Chief Benson O. Ndakara, told the court that he is not opposed to the trial date as requested by the prosecutor, but he had filed the defendants’ bail applications and same have been served on the prosecution.
In urging the court to grant the application, Ndakara told the court that his clients have been detained by the prosecution since May, when they were arrested.
Responding, the prosecutor, Mr. Nwagu, prayed the court to refuse the bail applications and instead, order accelerated hearing of the charge.
After listening to the submissions of parties and citing plethoras of authorities, Justice Osiagor admitted the two defendants to bail in the sum of N10 million with one surety each.
The judge ordered among other terms that the surety musi be either a property owner within the court jurisdiction or a civil servant not below Grade Level 12 in Lagos State or Federal Government establishment.
While adjourning the matter till October 23 for trial to commence, Justice Osiagor ordered the remand of the two defendants at the Nigerian Correctional facility, Ikoyi Lagos pending perfection of their bail terms
The Charge preferred against the defendants reads:
“That you Eze Charles Chinedu, male, 43 years old; Nwobodo Chidiebere Basil, male, 35 years old, sometime in May 2023 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court conspired with Fredrick Obunwa (now at large) to export 30.10 Kilogrammes of Methamphetamine, a narcotic drug similar to Cocaine, Heroin or LSD and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 14(b) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
“That you Eze Charles Chinedu, male, 43 years old; Nwobodo Chidiebere Basil, male,35 years old on or about the 16th day of May, 2023 during the examination and clearing of cargo for export to London at SAHCOL Export Shed at Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court without lawful authority exported 30.10 Kilogrammes of Methamphetamine, a narcotic drug similar to Cocaine, Heroin or LSD and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 11(b) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.”