A Lagos Federal High Court has convicted and sentenced a convict, Mrs Odeyemi Omolara to another 15 years imprisonment for drug trafficking.
The convict, Omolara, who is currently serving a 25-year jail term, was sentenced to another 15 years, by Justice Deinde Isaac Dipeolu, on Tuesday.
However, Justice Dehinde Dipeolu said the new 15-year jail, shall run concurrently with the ongoing 25 year sentence handed down on the convict in June 2017, by Justice Justice Hadiza Rabiu-Shagari (now a judge of the Appeal Court)
The convict was formerly sentenced to 25 years in jail, in June 2017, after confessing to having committed a charge of illegal export of 1.595 Kilogrames of Cocaine to Saudi Arabia.
She was given a fresh jail, after she pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy and unlawful possession of the banned substance, after the prosecutor, Mr Abu Ibrahim had reviewed the facts of the four counts of charge, made against her by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
Meanwhile, following the sentencing of Odeyemi Omolara who is the first defendant in the four-count charge, the trial of Mrs. Funmilola Arike Ogbuaya, (a.k.a Ariket), who had pleaded not guilty to the charges commenced before the court.
At the commencement of the trial on Wednesday, the NDLEA called five prosecution witnesses to testify in support of its case against Ariket.
One of the witnesses, Mrs Sonibare Soriyat Iyabode, who is the Arresting Officer, attached to the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, while being led in evidence by the prosecutor, Mr Abu Ibrahim, told the court that on February 24, 2017, during the check-in of Egypt Air at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja Lagos, when it was the turn of Odeyemi Omolara to be checked-in, the convict while placing her back on the table for examination, said: “my daughter there is nothing in my bag let me go”,
The witness said she, however, insisted on checking the bag, adding that while checking the bag she noticed two flatly packed nylon in the bag and when she brought it out, Odeyemi Omolara held her hands, placed her head on the checking table and said: “Ariket has killed me,” “Ariket has finished me”.
Shonibare said as the convict was being led away to the NDLEA legal seat, the only thing she was saying was, ” Arike has killed me, Ariket has finished me.
Apart from the arresting officer, four other operatives of the anti-narcotic agency also testified as to the role they played while investigating the case.
Further hearing of the charge against Ariket has been adjourned to May 7, 2024.
It would be recalled that Mrs Funmilola Arike Ogbuaya, popularly known as Ariket, alongside her alleged convicted co-conspirator, Mrs Odeyemi Omolola were re-arraigned in March on an amendment four counts charge.
The duo, who are also known as Funmilola Ogundipe and Ariyo Monsurat Olabisi respectively, were re-arraigned before Justice Dipeolu, on four charges of conspiracy, unlawful possession, aiding and abetting and attempting to smuggle 1.595 kilograms of Cocaine to Saudi Arabia.
They were first arraigned before Justice Hadiza Rabiu-Shagari (now a Court of Appeal Judge) sometime in 2017, on a five-count charge of conspiracy, aiding and abetting, unlawful possession of the banned drug, and attempt to export the said banned drug to Saudi Arabia.
While the convicted Odeyemi Omolara, was arraigned on charges of conspiracy, unlawful possession of hard drug, and attempt to export the said banned drug to Saudi Arabia, Ariket, was arraigned on charges of conspiracy, aiding and abetting and procuring the convict to traffic the prohibited drug.
However, while Odeyemi Omolara pleaded guilty to two of the initial five-count charges and was sentenced to 25 years imprisonment, Ariket maintained her not-guilty plea.
Dissatisfied with Justice Shagari’s judgment, the convict through her lawyer, appealed her conviction.
However, NDLEA through its lawyer, Abu Ibrahim, filed a counter to the appeal and urged the court to affirm the convict’s conviction.
Delivering judgment on the appeal, the three-man panel led by Justice Ebiowei Tobi, on February 26, 2021, dismissed the appeal for lacking in merit, while affirming Justice Shagari’s judgment.
Meanwhile, almost eight years after their first arraignment, both the socialite, Ariket and her convicted conspirator, Ariyo Monsurat Olabisi, were re-arraigned on four counts of amended charges bothering on conspiracy, unlawful possession of the prohibited drugs, aiding and abetting and procuring of the convict to possessed the drug, before Justice Deinde Isaac Dipeolu.
While the convict, Ariyo Monsurat Olabisi, pleaded guilty to the charges, the socialite, Ariket, denied participating in the alleged crime and pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Charges against the do read: “That you (1) Odeyemi Omolara a.k.a Ariyo Monsurat Olabisi, Female, Adult of No. 27 Adebule Street, Off Palm Avenue, Mushin, Lagos State and (2) Funmilola Arike Ogbuaya a.k.a Ariket, Funmilola Ogundipe on about the 23rd February 2017 conspired to Export 1.595 kilogrammes of Cocaine, a Narcotic Drug and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 14(b) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap. N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
“That you Funmilola Arike Ogbuaya a.k.a Ariket, Funmilola Ogundipe on or about the 24th February 2017 aided one Odeyemi Omolara a.k.a Ariyo Monsurat Olabisi to Export 1.595 kilogrammes of Cocaine, a Narcotic Drug and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 14(b) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap. N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
“That you Funmilola Arike Ogbuaya a.k.a Ariket, Funmilola Ogundipe on or about the 24th February 2017 procured one Odeyemi Omolara a.k.a Ariyo Monsurat Olabisi to Export 1.595 kilogrammes of Cocaine, a Narcotic Drug and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 14(b) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap. N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
“That you Odeyemi Omolara a.k.a Ariyo Monsurat Olabisi, Female, Adult of No. 27 Adebule Street, Off Palm Avenue, Mushin, Lagos State on or about the 24th February 2017 without Lawful Authority knowingly possessed 1.595 kilogrammes of Cocaine, a Narcotic Drug and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 19 of the National Drug Law Enforcement agency Act Cap. N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.”
