by Jewel Stephen

Two sisters, Shade Oyetobi and Atinuke Adebanwo were today arrested by officers of the Nigerian Prison Services (NPS) for attempting to smuggle 11 wraps of marijuana into the Ikeja Lagos State High Court holding cell for awaiting trial inmates.

Reports say the two suspects were arrested while trying to deliver the said substance to their brother, Babatunde Oyetobi, an awaiting trial inmate.

Oyetobi was said to have been arrested while engaging in a street fight.

The sisters lamented their fate saying, as orphans, they have done everything to support their brother who has been on the awaiting trial list for about 2 years.

Shade, 24, who said she was a hairdresser, confessed that the marijuana wraps were handed over to her by one, Jamiu, a friend to Babatunde.

According to her: “Actually, it was my brother’s friend, Jamiu, who sells watches, that gave the stuff to me this morning to give to my brother.

“Actually, Jamiu and I have not been on talking terms for some time, since we had a disagreement over one watch, but he had collected my phone number from my friend this morning and called me.

“I don’t know where they sell marijuana, I don’t know how much they sell it and I don’t smoke,” Shade said.

Atinuke, married with three children, said she was not privy to the arrangement.

Crying profusely, the 32-year-old lamented that her sister had put her in trouble.

Facing her sister, Adebanwo said, “Oh my God, I don’t know that it’s a crime to have the two of you as my siblings. Is it a crime to stand by you after the death of our parents?

“I don’t know anything about this whole thing. Please ask her; I am even sick, I was supposed to go for my treatment this morning.”

A. R. Muhammed, the officer who arrested the sisters, said the marijuana wraps were hidden inside a black nylon bag, concealed beneath a pair of slippers.

Muhammad said, “We demanded to know their mission as they were coming in and they told us they wanted to see their brother; then we asked to see what was in the black poly bag but they said it was a pair of slippers, then when we demanded to see the slippers, the younger sister became guarded.

“At that point, we ordered them to walk out if they were not willing to show us the slippers; but we became suspicious when they chose to walk out without seeing their brother rather than show us what was in the nylon bag. That was why we moved in and forced them, only to discover that they were trying to smuggle Marijuana into the cell.”

The two sister were subsequently handed over to the Area F Police Command in Ikeja.