Court Remands Ghanaian For Concealing Hard Drug In Tomato Tins
Justice Maureen Onyetenu of the Federal High Court in Lagos on Thursday remanded a Ghanaian, Paul Gyan in prison for allegedly concealing and attempting to traffic a banned drug, Methamphetamine in tomato tins out of Nigeria.
Gyan was arraigned before the court on the three count-charge of unlawful possession of the said drug, illegal exportation and conspiracy to deal in hard drug by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
Justice Onyetenu ordered that the foreigner be kept behind bars pending the hearing and determination of the case.
According to the NDLEA lawyer, Mrs. Juliana Iroabuchi the accused person was arrested on February 25, 2018, during an outward clearance of Ethiopia Airlines passengers at the departure hall of Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.
Iroabuchi also told the court that the defendant concealed 2.02 kilograms of Methamphetamine in the tomatoes tins which were packed in a bag popular called ‘Ghana Must Go’.
She further informed the court that during interrogation, the defendant confessed that he came to the country with a Nigerian named John, who also resides in Ghana and conspired with another Nigeria named Moses who procured the drug for him for onward shipments to Indonesia.
The prosecutor maintained that the offence is contrary to and punishable under sections 11(d), 11(b) and 14(b) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act. Cap. N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
Following the defendant plea of not guilty, the prosecutor urged the court to remand him in prison custody pending the determination of the charge.
Iroabuchi told the judge that if the defendant is granted bail by the court it will be impossible for her agency to track him because of his nationality.
The defendant’s lawyer, Ige Asemudara, did not oppose the prosecutor’s remand application. He however, urged the court for accelerated hearing of the charge.
In a short ruling, Justice Onyetenu acceded to the prosecutor’s request and then adjourned the matter till May 13 for trial.
