NDLEA official nabbed for drug trafficking

An official of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Ibidayin Godwin, and four others, Taiwo Adetoye, Taiwo Ososanya, Fatai Akera and Alhaji Yusuf Bankole, have been asked to be remanded in prison for allegedly trafficking drugs.According to justice C. J. Aneke of the Federal High Court sitting at Ikoyi, on Wednesday, 9 July, 2014, all the accused are to be remanded in prison pending the perfection of their bail conditions.
PUNCH reports that the defendants were arraigned in court for conspiring with a drug baron, identified simply as Ossy, to export three kilogrammes of methamphetamine.
It was however gathered that the police are on the trail of the drug baron Ossy who has been announced to be at large.
All the defendants were reported to have pleaded not guilty to five counts of charges brought against them bordering on conspiracy.
“That you, Taiwo Adetoye, Fatai Akera and Ibidayin Godwin, conspired among yourselves with one Ossy, a drug baron now at large, to export three kilogrammes of methamphetamine; that you Taiwo Adetoye, Fatai Akera and Ibidayin Godwin exported three kilogrammes of meth without lawful authority.

“That you Taiwo Adetoye, Taiwo Ososanya and Yusuf Bankole, conspired to deal in and sell three kilogrammes of meth; that you Yusuf Bankole allowed your premises and office at the NAHCO shed to be used to store a parcel knowing that same contained three kilogrammes of meth,” the charges read in part.
According to the prosecutor, the offences were said to be contrary to and punishable under sections 11b, 11c, 12 and 14b of the NDLEA Act.
The defence counsel, Benson Ndakara, prayed the court that his clients be granted bail – a request the Director of Public Prosecutions, Joseph Sunday, represented by Ichapa Oigoga, contested.
Aneke, however, granted the accused bail in the sum of N5m each with a surety each in like sum.
Speaking on the matter, NDLEA Chairman, Mr. Ahmadu Giade, said the defendants would be brought to justice to serve as deterrent to other drug dealers, adding that the agency would be steadfast in its efforts at eradicating drug trafficking.
The NDLEA is a Federal agency in Nigeria charged with eliminating the growing, processing, manufacturing, selling, exporting, and trafficking of hard drugs.
The agency was established by Decree Number 48 of January 1990. The NDLEA is present in international airports, seaports and border crossing. It tries to eradicate cannabis by destroying plantings.
The NDLEA also targets the leaders of narcotics and money laundering organizations across Nigeria.