Court Dismisses Socialite Arike Ogbuaya’s No-Case-Submission In Cocaine Trafficking Trial
A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Monday has dismissed a No-Case-Submission filed by Lagos socialite, Mrs. Funmilola Arike Ogbuaya, who is standing trial on drug trafficking charges. Justice Deinde Dipeolu, in his ruling, stated that the prosecution had successfully established a prima facie case against the defendant.
Arike is facing a four-count charge related to conspiracy, unlawful possession, aiding and abetting, and attempting to smuggle 1.595 kilograms of Cocaine Saltiva to Saudi Arabia. She was first arraigned in 2017 alongside her co-conspirator, Odeyemi Omolola, who has since been convicted and is serving a 25-year jail sentence for her role in the crime.
In 2017, both Arike and Omolola were arraigned before Justice Hadizat Rabiu-Shagari (now a Court of Appeal Judge) on charges including conspiracy, aiding and abetting, unlawful possession of banned drugs, and attempting to export the drugs to Saudi Arabia. Omolola, upon pleading guilty to the charges, was sentenced to 25 years in prison. Arike, however, denied all charges and was granted bail. She was subsequently involved in a lengthy legal process, which included appealing the initial judgment. However, her appeal was dismissed on February 26, 2021, by a three-judge panel led by Justice Ebiowei Tobi.
In April 2024, almost nine years after their initial arraignment, both Arike and her co-conspirator were re-arraigned on the same four counts before Justice Deinde Dipeolu. While Omolola pleaded guilty to the charges, Arike once again denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty. In response to the plea, the prosecution, led by Mr. Abu Ibrahim, reviewed the facts of the case and presented several exhibits in court. The prosecutor also requested that Arike be remanded in custody pending the hearing and determination of the charges against her.
Arike’s legal team, led by Yakubu Galadima, filed a bail application, which was served on the prosecutor. The court ultimately allowed Arike’s release pending the hearing of the bail application. The trial then proceeded with the prosecution calling nine witnesses and tendering various documentary exhibits. Upon the conclusion of the prosecution’s case, Arike opted to file a No-Case-Submission rather than open her defense.
On February 26, 2025, both parties argued and adopted their briefs regarding the No-Case-Submission, and the court set today for the ruling. Justice Dipeolu, after reviewing the submissions from both the prosecution and defense, held that a prima facie case had been established by the prosecution. He ruled that Arike would need to open her defense to the charges against her. Consequently, the judge dismissed the defendant’s No-Case-Submission.
The court then adjourned the matter to April 29, 2025, for Arike to begin her defense.
The charges against Arike and her convicted co-conspirator, Omolola, are as follows:
