A Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday ordered the prison remand of a physically challenged, middle-aged man, Ukpabi Favour, over alleged importation of Indian Hemp into the country.
Favour, who could barely walk, was accused of importing 6.9 kilogrammes of the contraband substance into the country from Ghana.
According to the operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) who brought him before Justice Okon Abang on Wednesday, Favour was apprehended on September 28, 2014 at the agency’s checkpoint at Seme Border.
The NDLEA prosecutor, Aliyu Abubakar, said, “My Lord, the accused was arrested on or about September 28, 2014 at the NDLEA search ramp checkpoint at the Seme Border, Badagry, Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court.”
Abubakar added that Favour had put himself at variance with Section 11 (a) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
When the one count was read to him, the accused, who had no lawyer, immediately owned up to the offence.
“I am guilty sir; I am guilty; I am guilty sir,” Favour cried, rubbing his palms together in an apparent display of fear before the judge.
Consequent upon his guilty plea, Abubakar asked Abang to grant him a short adjournment to enable him to bring his witness to court for a review of the facts of the case. The prosecutor further urged the court to order that Favour should be remanded in prison.
Acceding to the prosecution’s prayer, the judge accordingly ordered the prison remand of the accused and subsequently adjourned till May 6, 2015 for a review of the facts of the case.
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