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| Ubah Harris when arrested |
The trial of nine accused persons and five companies, who are allegedly dealing in banned substances of Methamphetamine and Ephedrine, weighing 9,091 kilograms, has commenced before a Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos.
They were being tried by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
The nine accused persons are: Ubah Harris Alaekwe, also known as ‘Etochukwu Alaekwe Weuba, Eto Uba, Eto and Toscani’.
Other accused persons are Tochukwu Victor Nnamdi Ubah: Chibueze Ubaka Gabriel: Chibueze Alex Izuchukwu: Ugwu Nnaemeka Bertrand: Onyeka Jasper Chika: Okoliechukwu Francis Chidozie: and Dahiru Bwala.
The affected companies are Visochi Resources Limited: Tovic Marine Services Limited: Chazmax Pharma Industries Limited: Impact Pharmaceutical Limited and Chidomerit Pharmaceutical Limited.
It would be recalled that NDLEA had earlier arraigned all the accused persons before the court presided over by Justice Ayotunde Faji on eight counts charge of conspiracy, unlawful attempt to export the said banned substances, unlawful possession and distribution of the said banned substances.
In opening the trial of the accused persons on Tuesday, NDLEA through its prosecutor, Mr Lambert Nor, called his first witness, Mr Fred Etom, an exhibits’ keeper, who told the court about the role he played when the banned substances were seized from the accused persons.
The witness who was led in evidence by the prosecutor told the court that the seized drugs were packed in 27 cartoons of indomine noddles and Golden Moore, as well as 17 Jerry cans.
The exhibit keeper particularly told the court that the four cartoons of Indomine noddles contained 266 kilograms of Methamphetamine, while the 17 jerry cans and Golden Moore cartoons contained 310 kilograms of Ephedrine.
He also stated that the sum of N296,000, and $50,000, seized from the accused persons were transferred and handed over to him by the operatives that effected the accused arrest.
The exhibit keeper also told the court that a 20-foot container said to have been used to transport the banned substances was also handed over to him.
The exhibits, he said, were marked as NDLEA/SET/2015/021/.
Justice Faji admitted all the exhibits and marked them as Exhibits A1-G.
After tendering and admitting the exhibits, the prosecutor applied to court for ‘locus inquo’, to move the court to his agency’s headquarters, in Ikoyi, for citing other exhibits which included 20 feet containers where the banned substances were loaded for export, and other drugs, to ascertain the claims of the witness.
The application was not opposed by the lawyers of the accused persons, who include: Chief Benson Ndakara: Mr O. Nnalor: Mr C. E. Elena (SAN): Mrs Lilian Omotunde: and Abubakar Samusudeen, and the application was granted by the trial judge.
Upon returning from ‘locus inquo’, the witness, while being cross-examined by the lawyers of the accused, told the court that the circumstances of the seizure of the 20 feet container were not known to him, as the seized items were brought to him to keep as exhibit keeper.
The witness also informed the court that he did not participate in the arrest of the accused persons and that the accused did not make any statement to him, adding that as an exhibit keeper, he was just a custodian of all exhibits handed over to him.
Etom also notified the court that he did not count the monetary exhibits, as it were handed over to him, and that he did not conduct any further investigation on the seized items.
Justice Ayotunde has adjourned the matter until December 18 and 19, for the continuation of the trial of the accused persons.
NDLEA had, sometime in 2016, arraigned all the accused persons in a charge marked FHC/L/519c/2015.
The anti-narcotics agency had alleged that all the accused persons and the named companies had on or before November 18, 2015, without lawful authority, conspired among themselves to export 266 kilograms of Methamphetamine, a narcotic similar to cocaine, heroin and LSD, and 310 kilograms of Ephedrine, a controlled substance, through the Apapa Seaport.
They were also alleged to have, between 2011 and 2015, unlawfully distributed a total of 7,825 kilograms of Ephedrine.
The offence, according to the prosecutor, Mr Nor, is contrary to the United Nations Single Convention on Narcotic Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substance 1989 as provided for, and Sections 19, 20(1)(f), 20(2)(a) and 14(b) of the NDLEA Act Cap. N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
The prosecution also said the offence is punishable under Sections 11(b) 20(2) 20(2)(f) and 20(2)(a) of the same Act.
All the accused persons had pleaded not guilty to the charge, and they have been granted bail on various terms.
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