An Assistant General Manager of Skyway Handling Company (SAHCO), Olajide Kafidipe, and seven other employees of the company, has been arraigned by The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) before a Federal High Court, Lagos for alleged drug trafficking.
Kafidipe and others were docked before Justice Deinde Dipeolu on four counts of conspiracy, unlawful importation and possession of 1,440.90 kilograms of Tramadol.
Other defendants in the case are Sanyaolu Rasheed Oladele, Musa Mutalib Opeyemi, Sanamo Alla Daniel, Anuge Evans Isibor; Mahmud Agboola Musa, Udeh Felix and Obinna Henry.
The prosecutor, Abu Ibrahim, had earlier informed the judge that the defendants conspired with the trio of Mubarak Sarki Salami, Abdullahi Aliyu, a.k.a Aboki and Anwal Monday, who are also staff of the company but now at large, to commit the offences on or about October 25, 2023.
Ibrahim also alleged that the defendants conspired amongst themselves to transport 1 440.90 kilograms of Tramadol 225mg, a Narcotic, through the SAHCO Import Shed.
He further claimed that Kafidipe conspired with Sanyaolu Rasheed Oladele and procured one Lawal Itunu Temitope to transport the prohibited substance from SAHCO Import Shed in a Mercedes Benz Bus with Registration Number LAGOS MUS 269 YC, belonging to Platinum Pacific International Limited.
The prosecutor informed the court that another staff of SAHCO, Sanyaolu Rasheed Oladele, was unlawfully found in possession of the said 1440—Ninety kilograms of Tramadol 225mg, a Narcotic Analgesic.
Ibrahim maintained that the offences are contrary to sections 14 (b), 21 (2)(d) and 20 (1)(c) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Cap. N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, and is punishable under sections 11 (b) and 20 (2)(b) of the same Act.
All the defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Following their plea, the prosecutor urged the court to fix a trial date and order that the defendants be remanded in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Services until the hearing and conclusion of the trial.
The defence lawyer however informed the court that he had filed separate bail applications for his client except for the Assistant General Manager and Henry.
The lawyer, therefore, urged the court for a short date to enable him to file the bail applications for the duo.
Based on this development, the prosecutor urged the court to remand all the defendants in prison until the court hears their bail applications.
Justice Dipeolu ordered the operatives of the NDLEA to call their Airport Commander to allow the defendants to be remanded in their custody until Wednesday, January 17, when their bail applications will be heard and determined.
He also adjourned the case to January 24 for the commencement of the trial.
