Court adjourns trial of bizman, Makata Emmanuel for drug trafficking to July 25

The trial of Makata Emmanuel, a Nigerian businessman facing prosecution for alleged drug trafficking has been adjourned by the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos to the 25th of July, 2025.

Emmanuel is alleged to have conspired with others currently at large to import 27.567 kilogrammes of Codeine-based cough syrup into Nigeria.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Prosecutor, Barrister Adekunle Adebajo, who plans to call seven witnesses in the case, has already presented four before the court.

The two-count charge, in suit number FHC/L/06C/2025, are as follows:

COUNT 1: That you, MAKATA EMMANUEL, male, adult, and MR. SIMON (at large), on or about the 11th day of December, 2024, at the Customs Enforcement Unit, Tincan Island Port, Apapa, Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, without lawful authority, conspired together to import 27.567 kilogrammes of Codeine-based cough syrup—a narcotic drug similar to Cocaine and Heroin—and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 14(b) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Act, Cap N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

COUNT 2: That you, MAKATA EMMANUEL, male, adult, and MR. SIMON (at large), on or about the 11th day of December, 2024, at the Customs Enforcement Unit, Tincan Island Port, Apapa, Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, without lawful authority, imported 27.567 kilogrammes of Codeine-based cough syrup—a narcotic drug similar to Cocaine and Heroin—and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 11(a) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Act, Cap N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.”