Olajide and others were arraigned before the court presided over by Justice Deinde Isaac Dipeolu. The seven staff of the company arraigned alongside the manager were Sanyaolu Rasheed Oladele; Musa Mutalib Opeyemi; Sanamo Alla Daniel; Anuge Evans Isibor; Mahmud Agboola Musa; Udeh Felix and Obinna Henry.

The prosecutor, Abu Ibrahim, while arraigning the SAHCO staff, told the court that all 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 said the Assistant General Manager of SAHCO, Olajide, and other staff conspired among themselves to transport 1, 440.90 kilogrammes of tramadol 225mg, a banned substance, from SAHCO Import Shed.

The prosecutor also told the court that Olajide 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.

He further informed the court that another staff of SAHCO, Sanyaolu Rasheed Oladele, unlawfully possessed the said 1, 440.90 kilogrammes of Tramadol 225mg, a narcotic analgesic.

According to the prosecutor, the said offences contravened 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 are punishable under Sections 11 (b) and 20 (2)(b) of the same Act.

All the defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.Following their not-guilty plea, the prosecutor asked the court for a trial date, and also urged the court to remand them in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS) till hearing and determination of the charge.

However, the defence counsel told the court that they had filed their clients’ bail application, except that of the Assistant General Manager and Obinna Henry.

They therefore asked the court for a short date, to enable them to file the bail applications for the duo. With the development, the prosecutor, Abu Ibrahim, urged the court to remand all the defendants in NCoS’ custody, pending when the court will hear their bail applications.

Justice Dipeolu, in a short ruling, ordered operatives of the NDLEA to call their Airport Commander, to allow the defendants to be remanded in their custody till today, January 17, when their bail applications will be heard and determined.

Upon complying with the directive, the court remanded all the defendants in NDLEA custody till today, while trial was adjourned till January 24, 2024.
Photo: Federal High Court