A senior immigration officer, Akomolafe Gbenga Michael, along with three others, has been arraigned in court for their involvement in a drug trafficking case at the Murtala Muhammad International Airport in Lagos.
The charges include conspiracy, unlawful possession, importation, and dealing with prohibited substances.
The arrest took place on May 21, 2024, when the defendants were caught attempting to smuggle 8 kilograms of methamphetamine and 7.60 kilograms of cannabis sativa out of the airport. The prosecution alleges that the group is part of a drug syndicate with connections to South Africa.
While the three co-defendants pleaded guilty to the charges, Akomolafe denied all allegations. Bail was granted to Akomolafe, with a requirement of N10 million and one surety who must be a civil servant of assistant director level or higher. The trial has been adjourned to November 7, 2024, for further proceedings.
The court convicted the other three defendants based on their guilty pleas. They were each sentenced to four years in prison on all counts, with the option to pay a fine of N2 million for each count.
