By Onyewuchi Ojinnaka
A staff of the National Aviation Handling Company of Nigeria (NAHCO), Mr Adetutu Afeez Alade was on Friday docked by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA)before a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos Nigeria for allegedly aiding shipment of banned hard drug identified to be Ephedrine.
Alade wasarraigned before Justice N. Ayo-Emmanuel on a two-count charge of conspiracy to export 25.220 kilogrammes of Ephedrine, a prohibited substance listed in Table 1 of the Second schedule of the NDLEA Act.
Prior to Alade’s arraignment on Friday for the alleged crime, Justice Ayo-Emmanuel had on November 14, convicted and sentenced Alade’s accomplices to the crime, Omoyeni Opeyemi Emmanuel and Akinyemi Salaudeen Idowu to two years imprisonment, after the duo had pleaded guilty to same allegations, when they were arraigned before the court.
Alade’s re-arraignment before the court on Friday, was sequel to not-guilty plea he made when his convicted co-defendants were jointly arraigned before the court with him.
According to the charge preferred by NDLEA, Adetutu Alade was said to have on April 18, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport , Ikeja, Lagos in conspiracy with one Omoyeni Opeyemi Emmanuel and Akinyemi Salaudeen Idowu both staff of NACHO and now convicts, without lawful authority exported 25.220 kilogrammes of Ephedrine, thereby committed an offense contrary to and punishable under Section 24( b) of the NDLEA Act.
When the matter was called up, NDLEA’s counsel, Mr. Abu Ibrahim told the court that the prosecution has a two-count amended charge dated December 10 , 2018 and pleaded with the court that the charge be read to the defendant for him to take his plea.
The charge was subsequently read to the defendant on the order of the court and he pleaded not guilty to the two count charge.
Following his not guilty plea , the prosecutor asked the court for a hearing date and submitted that defendant be remanded in prison custody pending hearing and determination of the charge.
But in his submission, the defendant’s lawyer, Mr R. Abdulhameed told the presiding judge that he has a bail application which has been served on the prosecution and prayed the court to allow him move the application. His prayer to move the bail application was granted and was moved.
In his ruling Justice Ayo-Emmanuel granted bail to the defendant in the sum of N1million with one surety in like sum .
The judge added that the surety must be a civil servant in the federal civil service and not below Grade Level 14.
He further ruled that the surety must reside within the jurisdiction of the court, must be recommended by the defence counsel and particulars verified by the prosecutor within 14 days of submission
While the judge adjourned the matter till March 5 and 6, 2019, for trial, he ordered that the defendant be remanded in prison custody pending fulfilment of the bail terms.