By Kenneth Ehigiator
The Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, will today rule on the bail application brought before it by five accused persons connected with unlawful importation of 450.4 kilogrammes of cocaine valued at over N4.2 billion.

The trial, presided over by Justice Okon Abang, commenced on September 6, 2010, and is receiving accelerated hearing.

Those arraigned before the court by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, include a Taiwanese, Fong Chui Sen, 54, Chinese national, Richard Wang, 62, and three Nigerians who are clearing agents, including Alhaji Inua Mohammed, 56, Ezeala Kingsley and Godswill Asomugha.

Already, four principal witnesses of the drug enforcement agency had testified before the court, and they include a forensic expert, exhibit officer and investigators.

The seizure is the second single largest made by the anti-drug agency in the country since its creation 20 years ago.

All five accused pleaded not guilty to a four-count charge of conspiracy and unlawful importation of 450.4kg seizure of cocaine made at the Tin Can Island Port, Lagos. They also applied for bail through their counsel, Mr. Benson Ndakara.

NDLEA prosecuting team, led by the director of prosecution and legal services, Mr. Femi Oloruntoba, had argued against the bail application of the accused, stating that no enough materials had been placed before the court.

Presiding Judge, Justice Abang, having heard from both parties, reserved his ruling for today.

The first count states that Fong Chui Sen and Wang Richard, between the months of March and July, 2010 in Ibadan and Kano, Nigeria, without lawful authority, conspired to import 450.400 kg of cocaine into Nigeria from Republic of Chile, thereby committing an offence contrary to and punishable under section 14 (b) of the NDLEA Act, CAP N30 Laws of the Federation 2004.

Second count read that Fong Chiu Sen male adult, on or about the 22nd day of July 2010 at Tin Can Island Port, Lagos, without lawful authority imported 450.4 kg of cocaine from the Republic of Chile into Nigeria and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 11 (a) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, CAP N30 Laws of the Federation 2004.

Count 3 states that Inua Mohammed, Ezeala Kingsley, Godswill Asomugha male adults, on or about 22nd day of July 2010 at Lagos, conspired to aid one Fong Chiu Sen and Wang Richard to import 450.4 kg of cocaine from the Republic of Chile into Nigeria and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 14 (b) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, CAP N30 Laws of the Federation 2004.

The last count states that Inua Mohammed, Ezeala Kingsley, Godswill Asomugha on or about July 22, 2010, in Lagos, aided one Fong Chiu Sen and Wang Richard to import 450.4 kg of cocaine from the Republic of Chile into Nigeria and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 14 (b) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, CAP N30 Laws of the Federation 2004.

Vanguard learnt that U.S. government’s recent removal of Nigeria from list of major drug countries of the world was largely informed by the NDLEA’s interdiction of the 450.400kg trafficked cocaine.