The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has arraigned four persons suspected to be hard drug syndicates before a Federal High Court, in Lagos State for importation banned substances.
The defendants arraigned before the court presided over by Justice Daniel Osiagor include Ogunmeru Oluwafunsho, 49, Adewale Adegbeti, 42, Adeleke Abdulrazaq, 43, and Dairo Quam, 22.
The defendants are facing two count charges relating to conspiracy and illegal exportation of drugs levelled against them by NDLEA.
The prosecutor, Augustine Nwagu, informed the court that the defendants were apprehended on March 10, 2023, at the SAHCO import shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos State, during the inward clearance of Cargo on an Ethiopian airline flight from Johannesburg, South Africa, via Addis Ababa.
The prosecutor argued that all the defendants conspired to illegally and unlawfully export to the country, 11.90 kilograms of heroin and 500 grams of cannabis Sativa.
But the defendants have pleaded not guilty to the charges against them.
Upon this, the prosecutor asked the court for a trial date and also urged the court to remand the accused in prison till the determination of the charge against them.
The defendant lawyers, Benson Ndakara and Uche Okoronkwo, appealed the court to admit bail to their clients.
He added that two of the defendants were suffering from ailments which the correctional facility would not be able to handle.