The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), on Wednesday charged a Ghanaian, Happy Allormasor and a Togolese, Kobia Takpa, before a Federal High Court, Lagos, over alleged trafficking of 320 kg of cannabis sativa, popularly called Indian hemp.
The accused persons were arraigned before Justice N. Ayo-Emmanuel, on charges bordering on conspiracy, unlawful importation and illegal procurement of the banned weed into the country.
The offences, according to the prosecutor, Mr Abu Ibrahim, contravened the provisions of Sections 14(b), 19, 20(2)(d), and 21(1)(a) of the NDLEA Act, Cap. N30, Laws of the Federation, 2004.
They pleaded not guilty to the charges.
After their pleas, Justice Ayo-Emmanuel, ordered that the accused persons be remanded in prison , pending their bail applications.
During their arraignment, the prosecutor, told the court that the accused persons on April 24, conspired with two others now at large, to unlawfully smuggle the banned weeds into Nigeria from Ghana, through Aivoji Beach in Badagry.
The prosecutor also told the court that their arrest was made possible by the NDLEA Seme Border Command.
During the trial of the accused, after their pleas had been taken, the first prosecution witness, Mr Idris Mohammed, narrated how the alleged drug couriers were trailed and arrested.
Mohammed, an exhibit keeper with the NDLEA, Seme Border Command, led in evidence by the prosecutor, told the court that he knew the two accused persons.
The witness added that sometime on April 24, the second accused was brought to him in his office with some substances and that he was asked to conduct a test analysis on them.
The witness said that the results of the test proved positive to cannabis sativa and weighed 320 kg.
The witness further said that on May 11, the first accused, was also brought to him and that he was asked to re-conduct the same test, as he did in the case of the second accused, and the same tested positive to hemp.
Following his testimony, the prosecution tendered the certificate of test analysis, packing of substance forms, request for scientific aid form, large brown envelope containing the forensic report on the drug analysis, and transparent pouch containing results of the test analysis.
These were admitted in evidence by the court.
The prosecution also tendered in evidence, the sum of N185,900 recovered from the first accused.
The case was adjourned until Nov. 14, for continuation of trial. (NAN)
