Lagos socialite, drug kingpin pleads not guilty, gets bail

Suspected drug kingpin and Lagos socialite, Mrs. Fumilola Arike Ogbuaya a.k.a. Arike Fumilola Ogundipe, was on Thursday arraigned by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) before Justice Hadiza Rabiu Shagari of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi Lagos.

In an amended charge, No. FHC/L/124c/2017, who is facing a three count charge of conspiracy, aiding and procuring of substances found to be cocaine, pleaded not guilty to all three count charge.

In her ruling, Justice Shagari granted her bail application on the ground that she had been granted bail. She was however remanded in prison custody pending when she will perfect her bail conditions. The case was also adjourned to June 28 and 29 2017 for trial.

It was reported that Mrs. Ogbuaya was implicated in a case of unlawful exportation of 1.595kg of cocaine to Saudi Arabia in February 2017 at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA).

Officers had visited her Lagos residence on a follow-up operation but she was not at home. The suspect also ignored official invitation for several months from the agency requesting her to clear herself in the ongoing cocaine investigation. When all attempts to reach her failed, she was declared wanted. Few weeks later, she presented herself before the NDLEA for investigation.

The agency had also secured an interim forfeiture order for several assets worth billions of naira traced to Mrs. Ogbuaya. Besides, the agency is working on a final forfeiture order on the landed properties and assets traced to her in Lagos, Ogun and Osun states.

The assets include Arike Plaza, some plots of land and buildings in strategic locations. The Lagos socialite, who is a distributor of alcoholic drinks, is needed by the NDLEA in an ongoing investigations. She hails from Ilesa, Osun state.

The NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive, Col. Muhammad Mustapha Abdallah (retd.), expressed great optimism with the development adding that there was enough evidence to successfully prosecute Mrs. Ogbuaya.

He said: “I am glad with the arraignment and I am confident that the defendant will be diligently and successfully prosecuted. There is enough evidence to win the case because we have done a detailed investigation,” Abdallah stated.

The NDLEA boss assured members of the public that justice will be served at the end of the day.