A businessman who allegedly imported a container loaded with Tramadol weighing 2,346.9 kilograms was on Monday arraigned before a Federal High Court, Lagos by the National Drug Laws Enforcement Agency (NDLEA.
Uchenna Igboaka was arraigned before Justice Nicholas Oweibo on a two-count charge of unlawful importation of the banned drugs.
The prosecutor, Mr. Fingere Dinneys told the court that the defendant in July imported 40 cartoons of Tramadol tablet weighing 225.6 kilograms and 255 cartons of same tablet, weighing 2,121.3 kilograms.
He said defendant unlawfully brought into the country the banned tablets in two 40 feet containers marked SEGU 6326800 and TCNU 4653816, from Pakistan.
The defendant, however pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Counsel to the businessman, Chief Benson Ndakara, expressed no objection to the trial date, however, said his client’s bail application has been filed and same has been served on the prosecution.
Consequently, Justice Oweibo admitted bail to the defendant in the sum of N10 million with two sureties in like sum.
The judge ordered that the two sureties must be owner of landed properties within the jurisdiction of the court, with the evidence of tax payment for three consecutive years.
The judge ordered that the defendant be remanded in NDLEA’s custody, pending the fulfilment of the bail terms.
The matter has been adjourned till October 27, for the defendant’s trial
