A Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, has ordered the remand of a 70-year-old woman, Barek Mary Yetunde, at the Ikoyi Correctional Facility over alleged possession, transportation and attempted exportation of 13 kilogrammes of cocaine.
Justice Friday Ogazi gave the order on Wednesday after the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) arraigned Yetunde on a two-count charge during the court’s vacation.
The defendant pleaded not guilty after the charges, dated August 8, 2026, were read to her.
According to the prosecution, Yetunde allegedly exported 13kg of cocaine on June 28, 2026, during the outward clearance of passengers at the Departure Hall of Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos.
The NDLEA alleged that the substance was being exported without lawful authority on a Virgin Atlantic flight from Lagos to the United Kingdom.
She was also accused of transporting the same quantity of cocaine from her residence at No. 14, Alhaji Azeez Ajanaku Street, Okota, Lagos, to the airport’s Terminal 2 departure hall.
The offences were said to be contrary to and punishable under Section 11(b) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, Cap N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
At the proceedings, NDLEA counsel, Abu Ibrahim, sought the court’s permission to arraign the defendant during the vacation, an application which Justice Ogazi granted.
Following her plea, the prosecution requested a trial date and asked that Yetunde be remanded in a correctional facility pending further proceedings.
However, defence counsel, Benson Ndakara, informed the court that a bail application had already been filed and served on the prosecution.
He added that the prosecution had filed a counter-affidavit, to which the defence had responded.
Ndakara urged the court to hear the bail application.
The prosecutor confirmed that the NDLEA had opposed the bail request.
In his ruling, Justice Ogazi said the court could not immediately hear the bail application because of the volume of cases listed on the vacation cause list.
Ndakara subsequently asked that the defendant be remanded in NDLEA custody, citing her age and health challenges.
The prosecution opposed the request, arguing that the agency did not have adequate facilities to accommodate the septuagenarian.
Justice Ogazi thereafter ordered that Yetunde be remanded at the Nigerian Correctional Centre, Ikoyi, pending the determination of her bail application.
The court adjourned the matter until September 2, 2026, for hearing of the bail application.
