The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Today March 16, 2012 return to Court of Appeal, Lagos, in its bid to secure a stay of execution of last November’s judgment delivered by Justice Yetunde Idowu of the state High Court.
Justice Idowu had ordered the agency to pay Babatunde Omidina aka Baba Suwe the sum of 25 million naira as compensation for detaining him for several days over allegation of drug trafficking.
Dissatisfied with the court judgment, the agency in December last year filed a motion for stay of execution of the entire verdict.
Director of Prosecution and Legal Services of the NDLEA, Mr. Femi Oloruntoba, submitted that the agency has shown exceptional or special circumstances upon which the Appeal Court will exercise its discretion in granting the application.
The lower court in a ruling on March 2 refused the application on the ground that the applicant is granted a conditional stay of execution pending the determination of the appeal.
It added that the judgment sum of 25 million naira be paid to the Chief Registrar of the Lagos State High Court who will in turn pay the said amount into an account with any reputable bank agreed by both parties.