A Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos State, has ordered the remand of a 70-year-old woman, Barek Mary Yetunde, at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre over an alleged 13-kilogramme cocaine trafficking offence.
Justice Friday Ogazi made the order on Wednesday following Yetunde’s arraignment by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA on a two-count charge bordering on the unlawful possession, transportation and attempted exportation of cocaine.
At the resumed proceedings, NDLEA prosecutor, Abu Ibrahim, appeared for the agency, while Chief Benson Ndakara represented the defendant.
Ibrahim sought the court’s permission to arraign Yetunde during the ongoing court vacation. Justice Ogazi granted the application, after which the two-count charge, dated August 8, 2026, was read to the defendant.
Yetunde pleaded not guilty to both counts.
According to the charge, the defendant, a resident of Okota, Lagos, allegedly committed the offences on June 28, 2026, at the Departure Hall of Terminal 2, Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja.
The prosecution alleged that during the outward clearance of passengers boarding a Virgin Atlantic flight from Lagos to the United Kingdom, Yetunde attempted to export 13kg of cocaine.
She was also accused of transporting the same quantity of cocaine from her residence to the Terminal 2 departure hall of the airport.
The alleged offences contravene Section 11(b) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, Cap. N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
Following her plea, the NDLEA asked the court to fix a date for trial and remand the defendant in a correctional facility pending further proceedings.
Defence counsel, Ndakara, however, informed the court that a bail application had already been filed and served on the prosecution. He said the NDLEA had filed a counter-affidavit opposing the application, to which the defence had also filed a response.
He consequently urged the court to hear the bail application.
The prosecutor confirmed that the agency had filed its opposition to the bail request.
In his ruling, Justice Ogazi said the court could not immediately hear the bail application due to the number of cases listed on the vacation cause list.
Ndakara then urged the court to consider remanding the septuagenarian in NDLEA custody, citing her age and reported health challenges.
The prosecution opposed the request, arguing that the agency lacked adequate facilities to keep the defendant in its custody.
Justice Ogazi subsequently ordered that Yetunde be remanded at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre pending the hearing of her bail application.
The case was adjourned until September 2, 2026, for the hearing of the bail application.
