A Nigerian man who had fled Malta, alongside a fellow countryman, to escape trial for an alleged drug trafficking conspiracy, has been remanded in custody hours after his extradition from Italy.

Theophilus Nwadike, 39, had been placed under a bill of indictment together with 41-year old Kenneth Duru over their alleged involvement in a heroin trafficking conspiracy back in 2010.

After having been granted bail in December 2013 and shortly before the trial was about to kick off, the two co-accused had vanished.

Mr Nwadike’s last signature on the bail book had been recorded in 2016 and subsequent investigations involving sea and air travel companies yielded no clues as to how the man had managed to slip out of the country.

However, the wanted man was eventually tracked down in Italy, the prosecution explained, in its application filed before the Magistrates’ Court. He was brought back to Malta on the strength of a European Arrest Warrant issued by the local authorities in November last year.

Mr Nwadike was marched to court on Friday, with the prosecuting officer, assistant commissioner Dennis Theuma, asking the duty magistrate to confirm the validity of the arrest so that proceedings might continue in his regard.

Presiding magistrate Audrey Demicoli duly upheld the request, sending the acts of the case to the Criminal Court where the trial by jury of the accused is to take place.

The said trial is expected to commence in October.

The other co-accused, Kenneth Duru, had been arrested in Italy in December 2017 and had been brought back to Malta earlier this year, also on the strength of a EAW. He is also currently in custody awaiting trial.

Lawyer Charmaine Cherrett was legal aid counsel to the accused.