The Accra High Court, presided over by Justice Ruby Aryeetey, has once again remanded Chima Uchechukwu, the 56-year-old Nigerian national arrested in connection with a $2.1 million drug haul discovered at Oyarifa, a suburb of Accra.
The accused, who has already spent several weeks in remand, pleaded not guilty to four counts relating to possession of narcotics and use of property for drug trafficking.
The plea was taken after the prosecution, led by Watkins Adama, substituted the original charge sheet with a new one filed earlier this morning.
According to the amended charge sheet, Uchechukwu is accused of possessing 192 slabs and 57 pellets of cocaine as well as a polybag containing heroin and morphine, all discovered at one of his properties in Oyarifa on March 18, 2025.
He is also charged with using the property, identified by digital address GM-203-7490, to promote and facilitate narcotic trafficking.
Defense counsel, Paul Asibi Abariga, objected to the prosecution’s account of the case, describing it as “flawed with wild allegations” and arguing that the accused had not been properly cautioned about the claims presented.
Mr. Abariga contended that the large sums of money reportedly retrieved at the time of arrest belonged to Uchechukwu’s wife, who had provided a statement confirming ownership.
He also dismissed prosecution claims about the accused’s alleged wealth and real estate holdings, stating that Uchechukwu is a long-time estate developer who had sold most of his properties years ago.
“The prosecution’s brief facts fail to establish any direct connection between my client and convicted traffickers,” Abariga argued. “These claims are unfounded and speculative at best.”
He informed the court of his intention to file a formal application for bail ahead of the next hearing.
In response, the prosecution urged the court to keep Uchechukwu in custody at the Narcotics Control Commission’s detention facility, citing the serious nature of the charges and the ongoing investigation.
The court agreed, ordering that the accused remain on remand until the next hearing, which has been scheduled for May 2, 2025.
Brief Facts
Court documents reveal that the case stems from a broader investigation launched by the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) in 2023 into a drug trafficking network operating in Ghana with links across Africa and Europe.
Two convicted traffickers — Pascal Okafor Ezugwu and Kenneth Uchenna — were arrested in separate incidents in 2024 while attempting to export cocaine and heroin from Ghana. Intelligence gathered during those arrests reportedly traced the source of the drugs to Chima Uchechukwu, prompting NACOC to place him under surveillance.
On March 18, 2025, Uchechukwu was arrested at his private residence. While no drugs were found there, a large amount of foreign currency was retrieved. The search later extended to a second property located about a kilometer away, where officers discovered packaging materials and narcotic substances.
A subsequent laboratory analysis by the Ghana Standards Authority confirmed that the substances included high-purity cocaine, heroin, and morphine.
Investigators believe Uchechukwu is part of a wider transnational drug syndicate. Several luxury vehicles and properties linked to him are currently under scrutiny, and efforts are underway to identify and apprehend additional suspects believed to be part of the operation.
