A Gambian Baboucar Jallow, Ndiaga Ba, a Senegalese and Abel Bassey, a Nigerian appeared before Justice M.B. Idris of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos on a two-count charge bordering on illegal oil deal.
The suspects, who were arraigned alongside their vessel, MT Wolof, were arrested by the Nigerian Navy at the Lagos Anchorage Area and handed over to the EFCC on June 17, 2017.
The accused persons pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against them. Counsel to the defendants, Adegboyega Adetunji, urged the court to grant his clients bail.
However, the prosecution counsel, Ekele Ihenacho, opposed the bail application, arguing “both the second and third defendants are foreigners and have no fixed addresses in Lagos. “My Lord, granting them bail will not guarantee that they will make themselves available for trial.”
He, therefore, asked the court for a trial date. Consequently, Justice Idris refused the bail application and adjourned the case to December 13 and 20, 2017 for hearing of bail application and commencement of trial. The accused were ordered to be remanded in prison custody.
