Asekun, the ex-Vice Chairman of the Lagos Island Local Government, has been arrested for exporting cocaine

Asekun Sakiru Kehinde was on Wednesday arraigned by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency. The former Vice-Chairman of Lagos Island East Local Government is accused of exporting kg of cocaine. He pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Asekun Sakiru Kehinde, the former Vice-Chairman of the Lagos Island East Local Government, was charged with exporting 1.000kg of cocaine before a Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Wednesday.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, or NDLEA, has charged him with drug dealing.

“That you, Asekun Sakiru Kehinde, Male, Adult, on or about the 7th May, 2021, during the outward clearance of passengers on Virgin Atlantic Airlines flight from Lagos to London-Heathrow, at the Departure Hall of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja- Lagos, without lawful authority exported 1.000 Kilogramme of Cocaine, a Narcotic Drug, and you thereby committed an offenders offense,” the charge read.
After he pled not guilty to the charge, the prosecuting attorney for the NDLEA, Abu Ibrahim, sought the court to set a trial date in light of the defendant’s plea of not guilty.

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However, the defendant’s attorney, Olasupo Sasore SAN, representing Chief Benson Ndakara, informed the court that a bail application had been submitted with the court and that the NDLEA had responded to it.

Mr Abu reiterated Mr Sasore’s viewpoint in his response.

Following that, Sasore urged the court to admit the defendant on bail, while Abu opposed the bail motion and urged the court not to grant the defendant release due to the seriousness of the crime.

After hearing both sides’ arguments, the presiding judge, Ayokunle Faji, delayed the case until July 16, 2021, when he will rule on the bail application and begin the trial.
He also ordered that the defendant be remanded in correctional services’ custody.