A Federal High Court in Lagos has granted N150 million bail to 70-year-old Barek Mary Yetunde, who is facing trial over the alleged trafficking of 13 kilogrammes of cocaine.
PUNCH reported on Thursday, September 10, 2026, that Justice Friday Ogazi granted Barek bail on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, with two sureties required to provide the same amount.
The court ordered that the sureties must reside within its jurisdiction and own landed property valued at not less than N150 million. They must also provide proof of ownership of the property and evidence of tax payments for the past three years, PUNCH reported.
Barek, who resides in the United Kingdom, was also ordered to deposit her British international passport with the court. Justice Ogazi directed that she must not leave Nigeria without the court’s permission while the case is pending, according to the report.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) accused Barek of attempting to export 13 kilogrammes of cocaine from Nigeria to the United Kingdom.
According to the two-count charge reported by THISDAY on August 27, 2026, Barek allegedly committed the offences on June 28, 2026, at the Departure Hall of Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, during the outward clearance of passengers on a Virgin Atlantic flight from Lagos to the UK.
The prosecution further alleged that she transported the cocaine from her residence on Alhaji Azeez Ajanaku Street, Okota, Lagos, to the airport for export. The charges were brought under Section 11(b) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, Cap. N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
Barek pleaded not guilty when she was arraigned in August 2026. THISDAY reported on August 27 that Justice Ogazi had ordered her remand at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre pending the hearing of her bail application scheduled for September 2.
During the proceedings, her lawyer, Chief Benson Ndakara, asked that she be kept in NDLEA custody because of her age and reported health challenges. The prosecution opposed the request, arguing that the agency did not have adequate facilities to manage her health needs, according to reports of the proceedings.
The bail application was subsequently heard on September 2, 2026, before the court granted bail on September 8, PUNCH reported.
The case dates back to June 28, 2026, when the NDLEA said it arrested Barek at the Lagos airport. The Guardian reported on July 6 that the agency recovered 13 kilogrammes of cocaine from her luggage, which it said had been concealed in packages made to resemble plantain peels.
The Guardian identified Barek at the time as a 67-year-old Nigerian-British woman and reported that she was arrested while preparing to board a Virgin Atlantic flight from Lagos to London.
Barek has pleaded not guilty to the charges and remains presumed innocent unless proven guilty by the court.
