Nemesis caught up with a suspected drug dealer, Onuegbu Ozoemena Stanley recently, as he was arrested at Airport in Lagos.
The suspect, according to NDLEA lawyer, Mr. Fingere Dinneys was declared wanted by Interpol in 2017 until he was arrested in Lagos on December27, 2019.
A Federal High Court in Lagos has however ordered the National Drug Laws Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to remand suspected hard drug dealer, till January 21, 2020.
Justice Hassan Sule, who presided over the court, gave the order, while granting an exparte application filed and argued by the NDLEA lawyer, Mr. Fingere Dinneys.
Dinneys had told the court that the remand order sought for was pursuant to section 35 (1)(C), 6 (6)(b) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as Amended, and Section 41 (b)(iii) of the NDLEA Act Cap. N30 laws of the federation of Nigeria 2004; Section 296 of the ACJA 2015 and Order 26 Rule 8 of the Federal High Court Civil Procedure Rules 2019 and under the inherent jurisdiction of the Court.
He also told the court that the order of the court for remand of the suspected drugs dealer was arrested of December 27, 2019, is needed upon reasonable suspicion of committing an offence under the provision of the NDLEA Act.
Dinneys particularly told the court that the order sought for was for further investigation of the arrested drugs suspect, whose co-conspirator, one Onwuabor Chukwuemeka Emmanuel, was arrested on July 8, 2015, in Hong Kong with 1.52 Kilogrammes of Cocaine, adding that upon arrest of Onwuabor, he mentioned the name of arrested drugs dealer as his sponsor and the owner of the 1.52 Kilogrammes of Cocaine.
He also told the court that upon the revelation made by Onwuabor, the name of the arrested drugs dealer was sent to Interpol as a fugitive, which gave rise for his name to be placed on a watch list by interpol as a wanted person on February 23, 2017. He added that the arrested suspected drugs dealer has been at large since 2017 until he was arrested on December 27, 2019, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, on his arrival from Hong Kong.
He also told the court that the order sought for is to enable NDLEA and Interpol to conclude investigation into the drug activities of the arrested suspected drugs dealer, which he said has commenced and a lot of hidden issues are being unraveled.
He therefore urged the court to grant the application as the suspect will not be prejudiced.
In granting the exparte application, Justice Hassan held that: “I have carefully examined applicant’s exparte application as well as affidavit in support, the exhibits attached and written address. I have also listened carefully to the submission of the applicant’s counsel.
“The application is hereby granted. And the matter is adjourned till January 21, 2020 for report of investigation”.
