Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja has ordered immediate service of a hearing notice on counsel to a runaway drug alleged trafficker to produce the surety in Court on next hearing date.
Justice Sunday Onu gave the order on Tuesday when the Counsel to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Mr Ibrahim Dangana, informed the court that the alleged trafficker, his surety and Counsel no longer come to court for the drug case.
The accused,Usman Danlami, is standing trial on a three-count charge of Conspiracy and illegal possession of one Tone (226kg) of Cannabis Sativa (Indian Herm), offences contrary to and punishable under sections 14(b), 11(b) and 19 of NDLEA Act CAP N30 2004 Lawa of the Federation.
The judge b
noted said that since June 26, 2021, when Danlami appeared before the Judge and was granted bail, he never appears again and even his surety, was no where to be found.
“It’s so bad that a defendant’s Counsel could approach the Court for bail and when granted and bail conditions met, they turn around and flaunt Court orders and processes, ” the Judge lamented.
“It’s rather most unfortunate that after granting them bail, the defendant and his surety are not credible.
“Worse still, the surety and the defendant’s Counsel are no more coming to court.
“I hereby order that hearing notice be served on the defendant’s Counsel, Mr H.O. Abbas, and make sure he appears in Court at the next hearing date of this case or face the consequences.
“This Court shall not tolerate any such unruly behaviour, ” Justice Onu declared.
Earlier, when the case came up for hearing, NDLEA Counsel, Mr Ibrahim Dangana, told the Court that since that day the drug dealer was granted bail, he refused to come to court again.
Dangana said the situation became more worrisome when both surety and the defendant’s Counsel also stopped coming to court for the case.
“My Lord, on our last sitting, Nov 11, 2021, I applied that a hearing notice be served on the surety, Shehu Abubakar at his residence at No. 88, Madam Kolo Quarters in Lokoja, but the Bailiff didn’t meet him at home.
“But the Bailiff’s report showed that the surety’s neighbour, one Umar, said he did not know his whereabout.
“I made several calls to the surety but he refused to pick my calls.
“But if we get the address of the defense counsel, the Court can serve him with hearing notice to show up on the next adjourned date,” Dangana said.
It was on this premise that the judge gave an order for a hearing notice to be served on the defendant’s counsel and adjourned the case to March 29 for hearing.
