Court Remands Man, 56, For Warehousing 57.36kg Of Indian Hemps
A 56 year-old-man, Opara Elisha, has been remanded in prison custody, for allegedly kept 57.36 kilograms of Cannabis, also known as Indian hemps in his Ikotun-Lagos home.
The court presided over by Justice Nicholas Oweibo, ordered that the Indian hemps’ keeper, a resident of 4, Aina Street, Ikotun, Lagos, be remanded in prison custody, till August 14, when his bail application would be heard and determined.
Justice Oweibo’s order remanding the defendant in prison custody was sequel to his arraignment before the court by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on charges of conspiracy, unlawful possession of the banned weed and illegal use of his house for keeping the narcotic.
The NDLEA has alleged that the defendant used his house to warehoused 21.20 Kilogrammes, while he was also alleged to have allowed his house to be used by one Ifeanyi, who is said to be at large, for storage of 36.14 Kilogrammes of the same substance.
The offences according to the prosecutor, Mr. Abu Ibrahim are contrary to and punishable under sections 12 and 19 of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, Cap N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
Following his arraignment before the court on the charges, which the defendant had pleaded not guilty to.
Upon the defendant’s plea of not guilty, the prosecutor, Mr. Ibrahim, urged the court to remand him in prison custody pending the conclusion of trial, while also asked the court for a date for trial.
However, the defendant’s counsel, Mrs. V. I. Ekwegh, while informed the court of not objecting to trial date, told the court that she had filed her client’s bail application and same has been served on the prosecution.
The position which was confirmed by the prosecutor, who also told the court that he had equally filed a counter-affidavit to the application.
Following the submissions of parties, Justice Oweibo, while adjourned the matter till August 14, for hearing and determination of the applications, ordered that the defendant be remanded in prison custody.
