Immigration Officer, 2 Others Arraigned For Hard Drug Trafficking

An immigration officer, Sanni Razak Adeola, was among the three persons arraigned before a Lagos Federal High Court, on Thursday, over alleged conspiracy, unlawful possession and export of 1.00 kilograms of Methamphetamine, a narcotic substance.

Sanni, who is attached to Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, was arraigned before Justice Nicholas Oweibo, alongside Eyah Nnamdi Celestine a.ka. Murphy and Hien Narcisse a.k.a. Ugwuoke Peter Oluchukwu.

The trio were arraigned before court, by the officers of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

The duo  of Eyah a.ka. Murphy and Hien a.k.a. Ugwuoke Peter Oluchukwu were arraigned on alleged charges of conspiracy and unlawful exportation of 1.00 kilograms of Cocaine.

While the immigration officer, Sanni, was arraigned on a count of aiding and abetting.

He was accused of aiding both Eyah and Heim, to illegally export the banned substance.

Prosecution counsel Ibrahim, told the court that the three men committed the offences on June 8, 2023.

The prosecutor told the court that both Eyah and Hien, a.ka. Ugwuoke Peter Oluchukwu, at Avenue Garden, Ago Palace-way, Lagos, conspired to unlawfully export 1.00 kilograms of Methamphetamine.

The prosecutor also told the court that the first defendant, Eyah, procured the second defendant, Hien Narcisse a.k.a. Ugwuoke Peter Oluchukwu,

Upon the reading of the charge, both Eyah and Hien, pleaded guilty to the charges, but the Immigration officer denied the allegation of aiding and abetting made against him and pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Following guilty plea of both Eyah and Hien, the prosecutor reviewed the facts of the charge, as well tendered exhibits, which were admitted by the court.

The prosecutor, Mr. Abu, after reviewing the facts of the charge, urged the court to convict and sentence them in accordance with the NDLEA Act they were charged with.

However, counsel to the convicts, Uche Okoronkwo, after citing plethoras of authorites, pleaded with the court, to give his clients non-custodian sentence.

He also persuaded the court, to award fine option in lieu of the custodian sentence.

Justice Oweibo in his judgment, sentenced each of the convicts to two years on each count.

The judge however ordered the convicts to pay fine option of N1 million each in lieu of the jail-term.

On the immigration officer, his counsel, Chief Benson Ndakara, after making submissions on his bail application, urged the court to admit him to bail in the most liberal terms.

However, despite the opposition raised by the prosecutor, Justice Oweibo, while ruling on the parties’ submissions, admits the immigration officer to bail in the sum of N2 million with one surety in like sum.

The surety, Justice Oweibo ordered must not be less than Grade Level 12, in either Lagos State or federal government establishment.

The judge, ordered that the Immigration officer be remanded at the Ikoyi centre of the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS) and subsequently adjourned the matter till October 5, for trial.

The first and fourth counts against the trio reads: “that you Eyah Nnamdi Celestine a.ka. Murphy and Eyah Nnamdi Celestine .k.a. Ugwuoke Peter Oluchukwu both adults, male on or about the 8th June 2023 at Avenue Garden, Ago Palace-way, Lagos conspired to export 1.00 kilograms of Methamphetamine, a psychotropic substance under International Control and you thereby committed an act contrary to and punishable under section 14(b) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap. N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

“That you Sanni Razak Adeola adult, male on or about the 9th June 2023 at the New Terminal of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Ikeja-Lagos, during the outward clearance of Qatar Airways flight to Doha, Dubai, United Arab Emirates aids/abets one Hien Narcisse a.k.a. Ugwuoke Peter Oluchukwu to export 1.00 kilograms of Methamphetamine, a Psychotropic Substance under international control and you thereby committed an act contrary to and punishable under section 14 (b) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap. N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.”