A mild drama on Friday occurred at the Federal High Court, Ibadan, between Oyo State and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) over who should prosecute a cocaine case.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Adebayo Ojo, the state’s Attorney General, argued that the state should prosecute the case and not the NDLEA.
“We are more interested in this case as the crime took place in Oyo State. We do not see the Federal Government being interested in the case more than we are in the state,’` Ojo said.
Ojo, who is the Commissioner for Justice, said he was a senior legal officer to the NDLEA prosecutor.
NAN reports that Mr Morakinyo Owoeye, NDLEA Prosecutor, however, insisted that the Federal Government interest in the matter superseded that of the state government.
Owoeye had earlier told the court that the defendant, Adeyinka Abass, was arrested at Adebayo street, Apata, Ibadan, with 0.8gm of cracked cocaine.
When the charge was read, Abass pleaded not guilty to the one-count charge of dealing in drugs.
NAN reports that the offence contravened Section 11 (c) of the NDLEA Act Cap N30 Law of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
Justice Abimbola Obaseki-Adejumo said the instant matter had nothing to do with seniority at the bar.
Obaseki-Adejumo, however, said Owoeye was representing the Federal Attorney General and that the interest of the Federal Government should be of priority.
She advised both counsels to go and resolve the matter amicably and ordered the remand of the accused in prison custody.
