Justice Mohammed Yunusa of the Federal High Court in Lagos on Monday ordered the remand of five suspected drug traffickers arrested in possession of 1020.5 kilogrammes of cannabis at the Ikoyi Prisons.
The accused, Joseph Akpe, Gabriel Fokito, Edward Zuta, Ameri Atotafe and Celestine Azanrete, all residents of Badagry in Lagos, are standing trial on a three-count charge bordering on trafficking in illicit drugs.
The five are being prosecuted by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
Each accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The Prosecutor, Mr Linus Nor, applied for the remand of the accused.
Following the application, Yunusa ordered that the accused should be remanded in prison custody, pending ruling on their bail application.
He adjourned the case to June 27 for ruling.
Earlier, the prosecutor had told the court that the accused committed the offences on April 27 at Badagry, near Lagos.
Nor said that the men imported 1020.5 kilogrammes of cannabis from Ghana, through Republic of Benin into Nigeria.
He said that the accused were apprehended by men of the Nigeria Customs Service who handed over the case to the NDLEA for prosecution.
The offences, Nor said, contravened provisions of Sections 14 (b) of the NDLEA Act, Cap N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the offence of drug trafficking could attract up to a term of life imprisonment if convicted.
