Olanrewaju Bada Akorede
Justice Ayokunle Faji of the Federal High Court, Lagos on Wednesday ordered the remand of an alleged habitual drug trafficker, Olanrewaju Bada Akorede at the Nigeria Correctional Service, Ikoyi Lagos till May 5,2025 when his application to challenge the constitutionality of the charge filed against him by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, would be heard and determined.
Justice Faji ordered Akorede’s remand following the objection to the reading of the charge by his lawyer B.O Onifade leading Bola Kolawole who said he will be challenging the constitutionality of the charge.
When the matter came up for hearing on Wednesday, NDLEA prosecutor Juliana Imaobong Iroabuchi informed the court that the prosecution has a two count charge pending against Olanrewaju Bada Akorede an alleged second time offender, she then urged the court to order that the charge be read to the defendant so that he can take his plea.
However, counsel to the defendant B.O Onifade objected to the reading of the charge on the ground that the defence has the intention to challenge its constitutionality.
Following his objection to the charge, Justice Faji then asked why did the defence refused to file their objection to the charge since the prosecution has filed the charge rather than waiting till the trial day to truncate the trial.
Justice Faji then ordered the defence to file their motion and ordered the remand of the defendant in the custody of the Nigeria Correctional Service.
Consequently the matter was adjourned till May 5, 2025.
The offence against the defendant reads : That you Olanrewaju Bada Akorede male, Adult, 51 years old, a citizen of Nigeria who lives in Number 1 Badmus Close, Ayobo Lagos, on or about the 10th day of December, 2024, during the examination of Cargo at the SAHCO Export shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this honorable court and without lawful authority exported 100grams of Rohypnol, a psychotropic substance concealed inside sack of Garri, from Nigeria to South Africa, as a second offender which you did same some time in 2023, and you were convicted and sentenced to 3 years imprisonment with an option of fine of Three Hundred Thousand Naira N300,000 only with 2 weeks Community Service for the exportation of 4.90kilograms of Tramadol 225mg and 2.10kilograrns of Rohypnol and you have committed same offence again, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 20(a)(c) of the National Drug Law
Enforcement Agency Act, Cap N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004,
COUNT 2
That you Olanrewaju Bada Akorede male, Adult, 51 years old, a citizen of Nigeria who lives in Number 1 Badmus Close, Ayobo Lagos, and one Chidon who resides in South Africa (now at large) on or about the 10th and 11th day of December, 2024, did conspired among yourselves to export 100grams of Rohypnol from Nigeria to South Africa which this cargo that concealed this hard drugs will be about the fifth time between 2023 to 2024 that you are exporting hard drugs concealed in Cargo to hide and you are also a second offender in this case and you thereby committed and offence contrary to and punishable under section 14(b) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, Cap N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004,
