An Assistant General Manager of Skyway Handling Company (SAHCO), Olajide Ahmed Kafidipe, and seven staff members of the company, were on Tuesday arraigned on charges of unlawful dealing in prohibited drugs.

Olajide was arraigned alongside seven others by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) before Justice Dehinde Isaac Dipeolu on three counts bordering on conspiracy, unlawful importation and possession of 1,440.90km of Tramadol.

The seven workers of the company arraigned alongside Olajide were Sanyaolu Rasheed Oladele; Musa Mutalib Opeyemi; Sanamo Alla Daniel; Anuge Evans Isibor; Mahmud Agboola Musa; Udeh Felix and Obinna Henry.

Counsel for the prosecution, Abu Ibrahim, while arraigning the SAHCO staff members, told the court that all the defendants conspired with the trio of Mubarak Sarki Salami, Abdullahi Aliyu, aka Aboki and Anwal Monday, who is also a staff member of the company but now at large, to commit the offences on or about October 25, 2023.

The prosecutor, Mr. Ibrahim further told the court that the Assistant General Manager of SAHCO, Olajide and other staff members of the company, conspired amongst themselves to transport 1, 440.90 kilograms of Tramadol 225mg, a narcotic from SAHCO Import Shed.

The prosecutor also told the court that the SAHCO’s Assistant General Manager, Olajide, conspired with Sanyaolu Rasheed Oladele, and hired one Lawal Itunu Temitope, to transport the prohibited substance from SAHCO Import Shed in a Mercedes Benz Bus with Registration Number LAGOS MUS 269 YC, belonging to Platinum Pacific International Limited.

He further informed the court that another staff member of SAHCO, Sanyaolu Rasheed Oladele, unlawfully possessed the said 1,440.90 kilograms of Tramadol 225mg, a narcotic analgesic.

The prosecutor told the court that the offences committed by the defendants contravened sections 14 (b), 21 (2)(d) and 20 (1)(c) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Cap. N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004. He said they are punishable under sections 11 (b) and 20 (2)(b) of the same Act.

All the defendants denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Following their not-guilty plea, the prosecutor asked the court for a trial date and also urged the court to remand them in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS), till the hearing and determination of the charge.

However, lawyers of the defendants told the court that they had filed their clients’ bail applications except that of the Assistant General Manager, Kafidipe Ahmed Olajide and Obinna Henry.

The lawyer therefore asked the court for a short date to enable them to file the bail applications for the duo.

With the development, the prosecutor, Mr. Abu Ibrahim, urged the court to remand all the defendants in NCoS’ custody till when the court hears their bail applications.

But the trial judge, Justice Dipeolu, in his reasoning, ordered the operatives of the NDLEA to call their Airport Commander, to allow the defendants to be remanded in their custody till Wednesday, January 17, when their bail applications will be heard and determined.

Upon compliance with the court’s directive, which was granted by the Commander, the court ordered the remand of all the defendants in NDLEA till Wednesday, and adjourned the matter to January 24, 2024, for the commencement of their trial.

The amended charge reads, “That you 1. Sanyaolu Rasheed Oladele 2. Kafidipe Olajide a.k.a Kafidipe Ahmed Olajide 3. Musa Mutalib Opeyemi 4. Sanamo Alla Daniel 5. Anuge Evans Isibor 6. Mahmud Agboola Musa and 7. Udeh Felix 8. Obinna Henry males, adults with (Mubarak Sarki Salami and Abdullahi Aliyu a.k.a Aboki and Anwal Monday all of whom are now at large) being staff of Skyway Handling Company (SAHCO), NAHCO premises Ikeja-Lagos on or about the 25th October 2023 conspired amongst yourself to transport from SAHCO Import Shed 1, 440.90 kilograms of Tramadol 225mg, a Narcotic Analgesic and you all thereby committed an act which is an offence contrary to and punishable under section 14 (b) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Cap. N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

“Count II: That you 1. Sanyaolu Rasheed Oladele and 2. Kafidipe Olajide a.k.a Kafidipe Ahmed Olajide both male, adults being staff of Skyway Handling Company (SAHCO), NAHCO premises Ikeja-Lagos on or about the 25th October 2023 procured one Lawal Itunu Temitope to transport from SAHCO Import Shed 1,440.90 kilograms of Mercedes Benz Bus with Registration Number LAGOS MUS 269 YC being the property of PLATINUM PACIFIC INTERNATIONAL LIMITED and you thereby committed an act which is an offence contrary to section 21 (2) (d) and punishable under section 11 (b) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Cap. N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

“Count III: That you Sanyaolu Rasheed Oladele male, adult being a staff of Skyway Handling Company (SAHCO), NAHCO premises Ikeja-Lagos on or about the 25th October 2023at NAHCO Exit Gate, Ikeja-Lagos without lawful possessed 1, 440. 90 kilograms of Tramadol 225mg, a Narcotic Analgesic and you all thereby committed an act which is an offence contrary to section 20 (1) (c) and punishable under section 20 (2) (b) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Cap. N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.”

In November 2023, SaharaReporters exclusively reported that the NDLEA had busted a drug syndicate using the SAHCO shed of the Lagos airport.

The NDLEA said it had arrested six members of a syndicate using their official cover to facilitate the smuggling of illicit drugs through the Skyway Aviation Handling Company warehouse at the Lagos airport into the country have been arrested.

However, sources told SaharaReporters exclusively that one of the people involved identified as Jide was the cargo manager for SAHCO. But his name was left out in the statement.

According to the sources, Jide’s personal vehicle – a Mercedes Benz car – was used to carry drugs.

“He took it to the SAHCO Courier shed.

“A gate to the tarmac locked by customs and SAHCO was used and they didn’t break the lock, which means that they had access. This place is the airside

“SAHCO left theirs open and customs also claimed they forgot to lock theirs. They allowed them to go,” one of the sources said.

The sources expressed disappointment that other major agencies like the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and NDLEA do not have access to lock the gate.

One of the sources said, “These guys were obviously able to get to customs and SAHCO. Meanwhile, Jide’s vehicle has been impounded by NDLEA and the vehicle is still with us,” one of the sources said.

“How could an individual like Jide use his private vehicle to gain access to the airside,” one of the sources asked.

“Even FAAN doesn’t have access to the control/gate to the airside. And why does NDLEA not have the key to the gates that lead to the tarmac?

“It’s surprising that NDLEA which is doing major operations when it comes to drugs in Nigeria does not have access to the gate.

“We (NDLEA) should be able to have people from our agency stationed at the tarmac gate. The security of the gate should be inclusive of every security agency but it’s just customs and a private company, SAHCO that have access to the gate with their two locks.

“The gates including the one they used are usually manned by FAAN and other security agencies from 9 am so that’s when they should open the gate.

“But when the cartel carried out their operation, they opened the gate from 7 pm to 7 am before the operatives of FAAN and other agencies resumed at the gate. They used their SAHCO access because they have their own key to the padlock and customs claim they forgot to lock their own padlock.

“This is the second time SAHCO has been involved in a major drug incident.

“Sometime last year, we intercepted them. A full Coaster bus was loaded with drugs and SAHCO staff members were involved. The drugs recovered were worth billions of naira.”