A woman named Oluwakemi Akala and two men named Onyekachi Aguguo and Tsolaie Ebulajolo were on Tuesday arraigned by the National Drug Enforcement Agency at a Federal High Court in Lagos for allegedly trafficking 28 kilos of cannabis indica.
The trio have been charged by the NDLEA with two counts bordering on conspiracy and importation of hard drugs.
When the charge sheet hearing for the case opened on Tuesday, January 21, 2025, the NDLEA prosecutor, Mr Kunle Adebajo, informed the court that the prosecution was filing two counts before the court and asked for the adjournment of the reading of the charges so that the accused could confess.
Adebajo told the court that the three defendants, Oluwakemi Akala, Onyekachi Aguguo, Tsolaye Ebulajolo and Austin alias Elohor Eguagye, who is currently at large, conspired to commit the alleged crime.
He told the court that the alleged crime occurred on or about October 22, 2024 at an unloading warehouse at Classic 1 Terminal, Ago Palace Way, Okota. The prosecutor said the defendants conspired without lawful authority to import 28 kilos of cannabis indica, a drug similar to cocaine, heroin and LSD, concealed in a 2010 Lexus RX350 with vehicle registration number JTJHK31U672011774.
The prosecutor said the offence violated section 14(b) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Following the defendants’ plea of not guilty, Prosecutor Adebajo requested the court to set a trial date and also remand the defendants to a correctional centre.
In response to the prosecutor’s motion, Mr S, counsel for Mr Oluwakemi Akala, said: Sani requested a brief meeting to submit his clients’ bail applications.
However, counsel for Messrs. Onyekachi Aguguo and Tsolaie Ebulajolo, Mr. Ali Abah and Justice Ojieno, informed the court that they had filed and served their clients’ bail applications and petitioned for the court to grant it.
Mr. Abah and Ojieno then filed their clients’ bail applications, which the prosecution did not oppose.
In a brief ruling on the defendants’ bail applications, Justice Ayokunle Faji granted bail to each of the defendants in the sum of N8 million and two sureties in the same amount.
The judge ordered that one of the sureties must be a blood relative of the defendants, who must provide proof of address, identity card, BVN, telephone number, utility bill and proof of sufficient livelihood. Judge Fazi also ordered one of the sureties to produce an accountant’s bank statement and three years of tax returns proving their ability to pay bail in case the defendants jump bail.
The defendants were also ordered to produce their travel documents, BVN and identity card numbers and not to leave the country without the court’s permission during the duration of their bail conditions.
Judge Fazi ordered the Deputy Clerk of the Court to consider the documents within three days of their submission.
The defendants were ordered to be detained at the Nigerian Correctional Centre until the bail conditions are met.
