A Nigerian national, Ezeonyili Franklin Uchenna, also known as Kelech, who is accused of being part of a drug network that operated a narcotics business worth ₹9.5 crore, has claimed that he is poor and cannot provide a ₹25,000 surety to meet his bail condition.
Although he was granted bail in April after spending over a year in judicial remand in a case registered by the Film Nagar police, the judge directed him to execute a personal bond of ₹25,000 along with two sureties of the same amount. Unable to secure his release despite obtaining bail, he filed another petition seeking a reduction of the surety amount to ₹5,000. After hearing his petition, the court reduced it to ₹15,000.
Background of the Case
Kelech is alleged to be working for Divine Ebuka Suzee and his wife, Uche Happiness, who operate a pan-India drug network. He is described as a key associate involved in facilitating drug supplies. After a year-long effort, EAGLE sleuths arrested him in Ibrahimbagh, seizing 17 grams of MDMA from his possession. A pen drive recovered from him reportedly contained information on 411 Africans, along with documents and receipts of financial transactions linked to the narcotics network.
Based on the analysis of the pen drive data, the police found that Kelech and his associates had conducted a drug business worth ₹9.5 crore. The prosecution had earlier opposed both his bail and the subsequent request to reduce the surety amount. However, since the prosecution failed to file a chargesheet, the court granted bail. The prosecution also opposed the reduction of surety, arguing that the accused is a Nigerian national, a resident of Mysuru, and has no permanent address in Hyderabad.
Court's Decision
“He could not be released from judicial custody as he failed to furnish sureties for the amount ordered by this Court due to his poor financial capacity. Therefore, in these circumstances, I am of the considered view that the petitioner has shown sufficient cause for reduction in the surety amount as ordered by this Court,” the court stated on Friday.
Suzee’s network is involved in several sensational NDPS cases, including supplying drugs to the brother of a popular Bollywood actress in 2024.
