Bedoye was arrested by the Agency and held in its custody since October 22, 2021 over alleged importation of hard drugs into Nigeria
By Onyewuchi Ojinnaka
Justice Ambrose Allagoa of a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Wednesday ordered the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to release Alexander Bedoye, a Colombian national from its custody.
Alexander Bedoye was arrested by the Agency and held in its custody since October 22, 2021 over alleged importation of hard drugs into the country.
Justice Allagoa made the order for his release following a fundamental rights enforcement application filed by the suspect’s counsel, Chief Benson Ndakara.
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Moving the application before the court, the suspect’s counsel, Chief Benson Ndakara submitted that his client, Mr Alexander Bedoye, a Colombian national was arrested on his arrival in the country on October 22, 2021, and has since been detained in the custody of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, without charging him to court.
Ndakara said the anti-narcotic agency has continued to violate the fundamental rights of the suspect and urged the court to order the release of the defendant with immediate effect.
But counsel to the NDLEA, Mr B.S Abdulahi in his submission, opposed the application.
Abdulahi told the court that sometimes in October this year, two Ships were arrested at Apapa Port on arrival into the country and it was discovered that the two Ships were carrying hard drugs.
He told the court that ongoing investigation linked the suspect to the illegal cargo, hence his arrest on arrival into the country.
However, Abdulahi debunked the allegation that NDLEA has been in breach of the suspect’s fundamental rights, stressing that immediately he was arrested, the agency came to court to obtain a valid remand order and that when it was obvious that the agency would still need more time for investigation, it came back to court to renew the order for his remand.
Abdulahi then urged the court to dismiss the suspect’s application for his release.
Ruling on the application, Justice Allagoa granted bail to the suspect in the sum of N100million with one surety in like sum.
According to the judge, the surety must own a landed property within the jurisdiction of the court while the bail conditions must be verified by the court registrar.
The matter has been adjourned till February 1, 2022.