Justice Yellin Bogoro of a Federal High Court in Lagos on Thursday ordered the remand of a 49-year-old man, Ezekiel Ibe, caught by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) with 5,458.894 kg of Tramadol.

The order was sequel to Ibe’s arraignment by the NDLEA on a count charge bordering on alleged unlawful possession of the banned drug.

The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge upon his arraignment, following which the NDLEA’s lawyer, Jerry Aernan, sought for a trial date and asked that Ibe should be remanded in a correctional facility pending conclusion of his trial.

Responding, defence lawyer, Maxwell Okpara, drew the court’s attention to his client’s bail motion, which he claimed has been served on the prosecution.

Okpara while urging the court to admit Ibe to bail on liberal terms, disclosed that he is having some health challenges which cannot be treated at the facility of Correctional Service.

However, in his opposing views, Aernan alleged that the defendant failed to file an affidavit indicating his health challenge. He consequently urged the court to refuse the bail motion.

But, in a Bench ruling on the bail motion, Justice Bogoro overruled the prosecution’s opposition and admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N10 million with two sureties in like sum.

The judge ordered that one of the sureties who must be a landed property owner either in Victoria Island or Ikoyi areas of Lagos State. He also ordered the remand of the defendant in custody of the Nigeria Correctional Service pending perfection of his bail conditions.

Further hearing in the matter has been adjourned to April 7 for commencement of defendant’s trial.

The charge against the defendant reads: “That you Ezekiel Ibe, Male, Adult, 48 years old, on or about the 23rd day of December, 2021, at Amuwo-Odofin, Lagos State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, without lawful authority knowingly possesed 5,458.894 Kg of Tramadol Psychotropic substance similar to Cocaine, Heroin and LSD and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 11(c) of the National Drag Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap N20 Laws of the Federation of Nigerian, 2004”.

TheStar