The Kano Division of the Federal High Court has discharged and acquitted two men, Ibrahim Jega, 42, and Isah Mai-Gas, 41, for allegedly possessing 1,190 kilogrammes of tramadol tablets.

The accused were arraigned by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in 2016 on two counts of conspiracy and possession of hard drugs. The duo, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The trial judge, J. K. Daggard, set Messrs. Jega and Mai-Gas free after finding them not guilty of the offences.

“The prosecution failed to prove his case beyond every reasonable doubt,” Mr. Daggard said. “The testimony of the prosecution witnesses failed to establish that the defendants actually committed the offences.” 

Earlier, the prosecution counsel, A.G. Yuanyam, had told the court that the duo committed the offences on March 28, 2016, around Ibrahim Babangida Way, Kano.

He told the court that on the same date the accused conspired with a man identified as Malam Babangida, still at large, to be in the unlawful possession of 1,190 kilogrammes of tramadol, a narcotic painkiller.

The offences contravened Sections 14(b),  20(1) (a) and punishable under Section 20 (2) of the NDLEA Act, Cap No 30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, prosecutors said. Five witnesses appear for the prosecution.

Defence lawyers B.S. Idris and C.O. Asogwa told the court that the prosecution failed to produce Mr. Babangida, who was believed to be the owner of the drugs.

“The first defendant, Mr. Jega, was near IBB Way when NDLEA officials ransacked him without finding any drugs in his possession,” the lawyers said. “The second defendant, Mr. Mai-Gas, was in Kebbi State on March 27, 2016, a day before the incident.  He is a driver and was only given the goods to be transported to Kebbi without knowing what was inside the cartons,’’ the lawyers told the court.

The defence counsels, therefore, said the suspects should be freed, a prayer subsequently granted by the judge.

 (NAN)