Lagos court remands 70-year-old woman over alleged 13kg cocaine trafficking

A Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos State, has ordered the remand of a 70-year-old woman, Barek Mary Yetunde, at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre over an alleged 13-kilogramme cocaine trafficking offence.

Justice Friday Ogazi made the order on Wednesday after the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, arraigned Yetunde on a two-count charge bordering on the unlawful possession, transportation and attempted exportation of cocaine.

At the resumed proceedings, NDLEA prosecutor, Abu Ibrahim appeared for the agency, while Chief Benson Ndakara represented the defendant.

Ibrahim first sought the court’s permission to arraign Yetunde during the ongoing court vacation.

Justice Ogazi granted the application, following which the two-count charge, dated August 8, 2026, was read to the defendant.
Yetunde pleaded not guilty to both counts.

According to the charge, the defendant, a resident of Okota, Lagos, allegedly committed the offences on or about June 28, 2026, at the Departure Hall of Terminal 2, Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja.

The prosecution alleged that during the outward clearance of passengers boarding a Virgin Atlantic flight from Lagos to the United Kingdom, Yetunde unlawfully attempted to export 13kg of cocaine.

She was also accused of transporting the same quantity of cocaine from her residence to the airport’s Terminal 2 departure hall.

The alleged offences contravene Section 11(b) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, Cap. N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

Following her plea, the NDLEA asked the court to fix a date for trial and order that the defendant be remanded in a correctional facility pending further proceedings.

Defence counsel, Ndakara, however, told the court that a bail application had already been filed and served on the prosecution. He added that the NDLEA had filed a counter-affidavit opposing the application, to which the defence had filed a response.

He consequently urged the court to hear the bail application.

The prosecutor confirmed that the agency had filed its opposition to the defendant’s request for bail.

In his ruling, Justice Ogazi said the court could not take the bail application immediately because of the number of cases listed on the vacation cause list.

Ndakara subsequently asked the court to consider remanding the septuagenarian in NDLEA custody, citing her age and reported health challenges.

The prosecution opposed the request, arguing that the agency did not have adequate facilities to keep the defendant in its custody.

Justice Ogazi consequently ordered that Yetunde be remanded at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre pending the hearing of her bail application.

The judge adjourned the case until September 2, 2026, for the hearing of the bail application.