Justice Nicholas Oweibo of a Federal High Court, sitting in Lagos, yesterday, remanded a pharmacist, Ikwebe Ori Helen, at the Kirikiri female section of the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS), for unlawful dealing in hard drugs.
 
Helen was arraigned on a two-count charge brought against her by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).She pleaded not guilty to the charge bordering on conspiracy and unlawful transportation of 51.10 kilogrammes of Pentazocine Injection 30mg, a narcotic analgesic, similar to cocaine, Lysergic Acid Diethylamide, commonly known as LSD and heroin.
 
Prior to her arraignment, the prosecuting counsel, Mr Abu Ibrahim, told the court that, on June 1, one Agadi Sunday was procured to transport the banned drug from Maiven Medics International Limited, a Pharmaceutical Company in Lagos, to Murtala Muhammed Domestic Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, enroute Kaduna.
 
According to the counsel, the defendant was arrested on June 8, with the banned analgesic, when she wanted to ferry the same to Kaduna State, via Murtala Muhammed Domestic Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.
 
He told the court that her offence contravened the provisions of sections 21 (2)(d) and 20 (1)(a) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Cap. N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and punishable under section 11(b) of the said Act.
 
However, following her not guilty plea, the court ordered the defendant’s counsel, Dennis Warri and the prosecutor to argue the bail application.
Thereafter, Justice Oweibo granted her bail application, in the sum of N5 million, with one surety in like sum.
 
The court ordered that the surety must be a resident within the jurisdiction of the court, and that the court’s registrar must verify the bail documents.  The judge, subsequently, adjourned to September 20, for trial.