National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has arraigned an assistant general manager of Skyway Handling Company (SAHCO), Olajide Kafidipe and seven employees of the company before a Lagos Federal High Court for alleged drug trafficking.
The NDLEA docked Kafidipe and others before Justice Deinde Dipeolu on four-count charges 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 is also a 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, unlawfully found in the possession of the said 1 440—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 it 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 (NCoS) until the hearing and conclusion of the trial.
