Ladipo Sanusi/
The weed of crime sure bear bitter fruit, a customs officer can say today as he lands in prison for allegedly trafficking in marijuana.
Ugwoke Emmanuel was remanded in prison on the orders of Justice Hadizat Rabiu-Shagari of a Federal High Court, in Lagos.
He was charged to court by the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for dealing in narcotic.
The judge ordered that Emmanuel should be kept in prison till September 28, when his bail application will be decided.
Emmanuel was arraigned on two counts charge of unlawful dealing and transporting 394 kilograms of the banned Cannabis Sativa popularly called Marijuana.
The accused, a resident of 25, Bale-Oko in Badagry Local Government Area of Lagos, allegedly, on May 14 at Gbaji Customs check point, along Seme-Badagry Road, knowingly possessed and transported the said prohibited ‘weed’ in a vehicle belonging to Nigeria Customs Services.
He was serving at the Seme Border Post of Nigeria Customs Services (NCS), when he allegedly conveyed the said ‘weed’ in a Toyota Hilux vehicle marked CSO 59 A1, belonging to the Services.
The offences according to the prosecutor, Mr. Aliyu Abubakar, are contrary to sections 19 and 20(1)(a) and punishable under section 20(2) of the NDLEA Act Cap N30, law of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
The accused however pleaded not guilty.
Following his not guilty plea, the prosecutor asked the court for a trial date, as he pleaded that the Court should remand Emmanuel in Prison’s custody pending trial.
But his Lawyers, Chief Benson Ndakara and Viviane Ekwegh, pleaded with the Court to admit their client on bail in liberal term.
The lawyers told the Court that they had filed his motion for bail and such had been served on the prosecutor, who had equally responded.
They informed the Court that their client is a serving Customs Officer attached to Seme Border Post of the Nigeria Customs Services.
But Justice Rabiu-Shagari, while adjourning the matter till September 28, for ruling on the accused bail application, ordered that he be remanded in Prison’s custody.
Emmanuel was arraigned on two counts charge of unlawful dealing and transporting 394 kilograms of the banned Cannabis Sativa popularly called Marijuana.
The accused, a resident of 25, Bale-Oko in Badagry Local Government Area of Lagos, allegedly, on May 14 at Gbaji Customs check point, along Seme-Badagry Road, knowingly possessed and transported the said prohibited ‘weed’ in a vehicle belonging to Nigeria Customs Services.
He was serving at the Seme Border Post of Nigeria Customs Services (NCS), when he allegedly conveyed the said ‘weed’ in a Toyota Hilux vehicle marked CSO 59 A1, belonging to the Services.
The offences according to the prosecutor, Mr. Aliyu Abubakar, are contrary to sections 19 and 20(1)(a) and punishable under section 20(2) of the NDLEA Act Cap N30, law of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
The accused however pleaded not guilty.
Following his not guilty plea, the prosecutor asked the court for a trial date, as he pleaded that the Court should remand Emmanuel in Prison’s custody pending trial.
But his Lawyers, Chief Benson Ndakara and Viviane Ekwegh, pleaded with the Court to admit their client on bail in liberal term.
The lawyers told the Court that they had filed his motion for bail and such had been served on the prosecutor, who had equally responded.
They informed the Court that their client is a serving Customs Officer attached to Seme Border Post of the Nigeria Customs Services.
But Justice Rabiu-Shagari, while adjourning the matter till September 28, for ruling on the accused bail application, ordered that he be remanded in Prison’s custody.