A Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday remanded two Brazilians - Lima Pereira Erick Diego and Dias Dos Santos Marcia Cristina - in prison custody for allegedly importing cocaine into Nigeria. 

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) had arraigned the Brazilians in court yesterday after its Head of Public Affairs, Michael Ofoyeju, had told journalists on Tuesday of the arrest, saying the duo allegedly imported 23.9kg of cocaine. 

 NDLEA prosecutor, Abu Ibrahim, told the court that the foreigners were arrested at the arrival hall of the Murtala Muhammad International Airport, Lagos, on April 18, 2017 during an inward clearance of passengers of an Emirates Airlines flight from their country, Brazil. 

The prosecutor urged the court to remand them in prison custody pending trial.

 But their lawyers,  O. G. Oyeleke and Niyi Onifade, informed the court that they doubted the competence of the interpreter, despite the fact that the interpreter was provided by the diplomatic service.

They urged the court to let the defendants provide the interpreter, whose competence they would not doubt.

But the prosecutor equally raised an objection to the defence providing an interpreter in the case and urged the court to compel the court’s Deputy Chief Registrar (DCR), to provide an interpreter.

The trial judge, Mojisola Olatoregun, ruled that the defendants should produce an interpreter at the next adjourned date.

She, however, said that the interpreter provided by the defendants’ embassy must also be present when the charge would be re-read to the defendants and their plea retaken.

 Justice Olatoregun adjourned the matter to May 15 and 16, 2017 for trial, but ordered that the two Brazilians be remanded in prison custody.

POSTED BY:OPUOMONI PRIYE

DATE:04/28/2017