NDLEA arraigns Igboaka for illegal importation of tramadol

Uchenna Oraeto Igboaka, a businessman who allegedly imported a container loaded with Tramadol weighing 2, 346.9 kilogrammes, was on Monday arraigned before a Federal High Court, Lagos, by the National Drug Law En­forcement Agency (NDLEA).

Igboaka was arraigned before Justice Nich­olas Oweibo led-court, on a two count-charge of unlawful im­portation of the said banned drugs.

The prosecutor, Fingere O. Dinneys, told the court that the defendant committed the offence in July and August, this year.

He said that the defendant sometimes in July without lawful authority imported 40 cartoons of tramadol tablet weighing 225. 6 kilogrammes, adding that he equally import­ed 255 cartons of same tablet weighing 2,121.3 kilogrammes.

He told the court that the defendant unlawfully brought in the banned tablets in two 40- feet containers marked SEGU 6326800 and TCNU 4653816, from Pakistan.

The prosecutor told the court that the offences com­mitted by the defendant con­travened sections 11(a) and 11(3) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap N30, Laws and punishable un­der the same Act.

The defendant, howev­er, pleaded not guilty to the charges after it was read to him.

Following his not guilty plea, the prosecutor pleaded with the court for a date for tri­al and for the court to remand him in the custody of Nigerian Correctional Services (NCS) pending the determination of the charge.

However, counsel to the businessman, Chief Benson Ndakara, did not object to the trial date requested for by the prosecutor, however, he said his client’s bail application has been filed and same has been served on the prosecution.

Justice Oweibo, upon taken arguments on the bail appli­cation, said that prosecution’s counter to the bail application was not strong enough not to grant the application.

Consequently, Justice Owei­bo admitted bail to the defen­dant in the sum of N10 million with two sureties in like sum.

The judge ordered that the defendant be remanded in NDLEA’s custody, pend­ing the fulfillment of the bail terms while he adjourned the case to October 27 for the defen­dant’s trial.