Two Nigerians have appeared before an Accra Circuit Court possessing quantities of cannabis and methamphetamine under the pretext of trafficking those drugs without authority.
Daniel Njuoku, a 37-year-old businessman, was being held for possessing cannabis with a net weight of 28,844.60 grammes and Lucky Igbojoinu, a labourer, was charged for possessing methamphetamine with a net weight of 10,8100 grammes.
They were picked up following intelligence by the Police at a hotel at Kwame Nkrumah Circle, Accra.
Njuoku was charged with unlawful control of narcotic drugs while Igbonjionu was held on the charge of unlawful possession of narcotic drugs.
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Njuoko and Igbojionu pleaded not guilty.
The court presided over by Mrs Susuana Eduful admitted the accused persons to bail in the sum of GHC50,000 each with two sureties each.
The court ordered the prosecution to file their disclosures and adjourned the matter to May 2, 2024.
Prosecution led by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Lawrence Kofi Anane said the Complainants in the case were personnel from the Underground Intelligence Unit of the Ghana Police Service, Accra.
ASP Anane said the first accused Daniel Njoku and the second accused Luck Igbojinn were Nigerians, residing in Nigeria and Kwame Nkrumah Circle, Accra, respectively.
On December 19, 2023, at about 4:00 pm, Prosecution said personnel from the Underground Intelligence Unit of Ghana Police Service, Accra embarked on an intelligence-led operation at Chisco Hotel near Kwame Nkrumah Circle, Accra.
Prosecution said the operation led to the arrest of the accused persons and two (2) others.
According to the prosecution, during the operation, Njouku who had come from Nigeria and was lodging at the hotel was arrested and a search conducted in his room led to the recovery of twenty (20) pieces of rectangular-shape compressed dried plant materials, twenty-four (24) pieces of oval-shape compressed dried plant materials and six(6) pieces of similar plant materials all suspected to be narcotic drug concealed in a fertilizer sack.
The court heard that during the operation, Igbojoinu was also arrested at the same hotel compound and a search conducted on him led to the recovery of six(6) pieces of plain rubber wraps of crystal substance and a quality of similar substance in a plain rubber all believed to be narcotic drugs concealed in a red and white box with the inscription “MASTAR BILLIARD CHALK”.
During interrogation, Njouku claimed ownership of all the exhibits recovered from him.
Igbojionu however claimed that he was sent by one Ketche to buy the exhibits from one Justice and he was arrested in the process.
However, prosecution said, he could not lead the Police to Ketche and Justice to effect their arrest.
Prosecution said during investigations, all exhibits recovered from the two accused persons which were suspected to be narcotic drugs were sent to the Police Forensic Science Laboratory for examination and report.
“The examination report received from the Police Forensic Science Laboratory revealed that all the exhibits recovered from 1st accused are cannabis with a net weight of 28,844.60 grams and the exhibits recovered from 2nd accused contain Methamphetamine which is a narcotic drug with a net weight of 10.8100 grams.”
Prosecution said that based on the said report, the accused persons were charged with the offence.
Source: GNA