Wale Igbintade
A Federal High Court in Lagos has granted bail to the embattled former Vice Chairman of Lagos Island Local Government Area, Asekun Sakiru Kehinde, after several months in prison custody.
Kehinde, was arraigned for allegedly exporting 1,000 kilogrammes of cocaine.
Justice Peter Lifu granted his bail application filed and argued by Kehinde’s lawyer, Chief Benson Ndakara.
The Judge found merit in the bail application, particularly on health grounds, and granted bail to the defendant with stringent conditions.
However, the application was opposed by NDLEA lawyer, Abu Ibrahim, but Justice
Lifu aligned with submissions of the defence lawyer, Ndakara.
In his ruling, Justice Lifu granted him bail in the sum of N100 million and two sureties in the like sum.
One of the sureties must be a property owner within the jurisdiction of the court while the second surety should be a civil servant of the directorate cadre either of the state or federal civil service.
Kehinde had earlier been granted bail on a separate amended charge by Justice Oweibo.
The application was also argued by Ndakara.
The former vice chairman was arrested on May 7, 2021, during the outward clearance of passengers on Virgin Atlantic Airlines flight from Lagos to Heathrow Airport in London at the departure hall of the Murtala Muhammed International, Lagos.
The court heard that the defendant, “without lawful authority, exported 1,000 kilogramme of cocaine, a narcotic drug” prohibited in the country.
He pleaded ‘not guilty’ to a one-count charge bordering on the offence.
The defendant was arraigned by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on a charge marked FHC/L/99c/2021.
The NDLEA prosecutor, Abu Ibrahim, had told the Judge that Kehinde committed the offence on July 7, 2021, during the outward clearance of passengers on a Virgin Atlantic Airlines flight from Lagos to London at the departure hall of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
