Asian Drug Suspects Get New Judgment Day

A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos State, Southwest Nigeria, has further reserved judgement till 8 July, 2011 in the case of a Chinese, Wang Richard, a Taiwanese, Fong Chiu Ses and four others alleged to be involved in the importation of cocaine into Nigeria.

The judgement, which was supposed to have been delivered on Wednesday, was adjourned till today and was again adjourned.

While adjourning till 8 July, the presiding Judge, Justice Okon Abang, said the prosecution and the accused persons adopted their written address on 6 May, 2011.

Therefore, according to the law, the judge said the court is still within the 90 days time limit to deliver its judgement.

Sometime last year, Fong Chiu Ses, Wang Richard and their three Nigerian collaborators, who are clearing agents -Inua Muhammed, Ezeama Kingsley and Godswill Asonugha, were arraigned before the court on a four-count criminal charge.

According to the charge filed before the court by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA , Assistant Director of Legal Services, John Gima, alleged that the Chinese and Taiwanese between March and July 2010 at Ibadan and Kano in Nigeria without lawful authority conspired to import 450.4 kilogrammes of cocaine into Nigeria from the Republic of Chile, while the three Nigerians on 22 July, 2010 at the Tin Can Island Port, Lagos, aided them.

All the five accused persons were present in the court this morning.

Their counsel, Chief Benson Ndakara, leading four other lawyers, was also present.

—Akin Kuponiyi