The defendants who were arraigned before Justice Daniel
Osiagor are Ogunmeru Oluwafunsho, 49, Adewale Adegbeti, 42, Adeleke Abdulrazaq,
43, and Dairo Quam, 22.
They are facing two counts bordering on conspiracy and
illegal exportation of drugs preferred against them by NDLEA.
The prosecutor, Augustine Nwagu, told the court that the
defendants were arrested 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.
He said all the defendants conspired among themselves to
illegally and unlawfully export to the country, 11.90 kilograms of heroin and
500 grams of cannabis Sativa.
However, the defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Following their plea of not guilty, Nwagu asked the court
for a trial date and also urged the court to remand them in prison till the
determination of the charge against them.
But their lawyers, Benson Ndakara and Uche Okoronkwo, urged
the court to admit bail to their clients, adding that two of the defendants
were suffering from ailments that could not be handled by the correctional
services.