Nigerian National Claims Poverty to Reduce Bail

A Nigerian national, Ezeonyili Franklin Uchenna, known as Kelech, has cited extreme poverty as the reason he cannot meet his bail conditions in a case involving a ₹9.5 crore narcotics business. Although granted bail in April after over a year in judicial custody, the court mandated a ₹25,000 bond and two sureties of the same amount. Kelech's inability to pay led him to petition for a reduction, which the court granted, first to a lower amount and later to ₹15,000.

Kelech is alleged to be a key figure assisting Divine Ebuka Suzee and his wife, Uche Happiness, in operating a nationwide drug distribution network. His arrest by EAGLE sleuths in Ibrahimbagh yielded 17 grams of MDMA. A recovered pen drive contained extensive data, including financial transaction details and contact information for 411 individuals, pointing to the substantial scale of the drug operation.

Despite the prosecution's opposition, bail was granted due to the failure to file a chargesheet. The court acknowledged Kelech's insufficient financial capacity, noting his Nigerian nationality and lack of a permanent Hyderabad address as factors in his inability to secure sureties. The drug network is also implicated in supplying narcotics to the brother of a Bollywood actress in 2024.