A Federal High Court in Lagos on Friday, admitted a man, Osakwe Evbuomwan, who is charged with exporting 1.55kg of tramadol to bail in the sum of N50 million.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) charged Evbuomwan with drug trafficking.
In his ruling, Justice Lweis Allagoa, held that it is trite law that an accused person is presumed innocent, until proven guilty before a court of law, adding that the defendant has shown that he would attend his trial.
The judge ordered the defendant to produce two sureties in like sum and held that the sureties must be owners of verifiable landed properties within the court’s jurisdiction and a GL15 Civil Servant.
He adjourned the case until Feb. 18 for trial.
Earlier, the NDLEA Counsel, Mr Augustine Nwagu, opposed the bail application filed on behalf of the defendant by his counsel, Chief Benson Ndakara, on grounds that investigations were still ongoing.
The NDLEA alleged that the defendant committed the offence on Dec. 18, 2021, at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport.
He said the defendant was arrested at the gate ‘C’ departure hall of the Airport, during the outward clearance of passengers onboard an Ethiopian Airline flight.
The prosecutor said that the volume of tramadol weighing 1.55kg, was recovered from the defendant during the clearance.
The offence, he said, contravenes the provisions of Section 20(1) of the NDLEA Act, Cap N30, Laws of the Federation 2004.
The Act provides for a penalty of life imprisonment, if convicted on the offence.