The sustained anti-narcotics activities of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, give Nigeria’s image a boost
By Lawal Dauda
Recent successes recorded by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, in its anti-narcotics activities are enhancing the country’s image in the comity of nations.
Prominent among the nations to acknowledge the country’s remarkable feat is the United States, which recently certified Nigeria for her relentless campaign against illicit drug trafficking and abuse. This is the eighth successive time the US is giving Nigeria a clean bill of health on account of her assiduous drug control efforts. President George Bush in his certification report to the US Congress commended the country over what he described as effective cooperation and advancement in the battle against drug trafficking.
Bush assured the anti-drug agency of continued assistance by the United States, stressing that Nigeria has made significant progress in counter-narcotics and has cooperated effectively with the United States on drug-related money laundering cases. “We fully support the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency’s recent cooperation in regional search and seizure operations,” said President Bush, adding: “We are encouraged that Nigeria’s use of U.S-donated body scanners at its four major international airports has resulted in the arrest of numerous traffickers.”
The desire to rid the country of drugs has kept the NDLEA on its toes, even as the Agency’s leadership under Ahmadu Giade has consistently emphasised its zero tolerance for compromise through the many arrests it has made and the zeal with which it is pursuing the prosecution of those arrested. In August 2008, the Agency went back to the drawing board in its bid to re-strategise against enemy forces in the battle against narcotics and psychotropic substances. This was at the week-long 2nd Command Officers’ Summit held at the Yankari Game Reserve, Bauchi State, which attracted security experts across the globe.
Addressing participants at the opening ceremony of the summit, Giade observed that the social status of suspected drug traffickers arrested by the Agency, including even a doctorate holder, coupled with the several unthinkable modes of drug concealment adopted by drug couriers, necessitated the gathering on the theme, Towards Professionalism, Integrity and Excellence In Law Enforcement: Charting A New Course. “The sophistication and desperation with which drug barons go about their illicit and nefarious activities demand that drug enforcement agents must be on their toes at all times,” the NDLEA boss stated.
The desire to destroy forfeited drugs so that they do not find their way back into circulation has made Giade to conduct the public burning of over 167 metric tonnes of drug exhibits in six states and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja between January and August 2008. The states are Anambra, Delta, Edo, Ekiti, Plateau and Niger. Some of the spectacular arrests and seizures made by the NDLEA in 2008 include the arrest of a 31-year-old student, Adebowale Adeleke, at the Lagos Airport, with 13.5 kg of cocaine in chocolate wrappers, which he intended to smuggle to London .
A 50-year-old doctorate holder, Asianya Okey Francis, was nabbed for ingesting 100 pieces of substances that tested positive to cocaine. A 72-year-old grandfather, Pa Salawu Akinola, who ingested 100 wraps of cocaine, was also nabbed red-handed by NDLEA operatives. He was to board a Virgin Nigeria flight to London on 27 August 2008 when the drug law officers caught him. Some of the methods drug traffickers use in concealing drugs that the NDLEA has recently uncovered include ingestion, creating false bottom of luggage, hair packing, body packing, packing inside foodstuff, chocolates packs, cloth, bolts and nuts, car dashboards, Bible or Quran, car engines, insertion into private part by female couriers, among others.
In February 2008, the Ekiti State Command of the Agency identified and seized about 53.7 metric tonnes of cannabis stored in a storey building at Ise-Ekiti. Far away in Maiduguri, Borno State, 2.3 metric tonnes of cannabis meant for export through the land border was also intercepted while on 29 May, the Oyo State Command recorded the single largest seizure of cannabis ever in the history of the Agency, with the discovery of 80.53 metric tonnes in a single operation. Two sizeable warehouses situated in a residential area of Ibadan were found to contain the illicit substance.
According to the Director of Prosecution and Legal Services of the Agency, Mr. Femi Oloruntoba, several drug suspects arrested and prosecuted were convicted by the law courts. “Between January and June 2008, a total of 1,015 persons have been sentenced to various jail terms.” Notably, a notorious drug baron in Lagos, Akindele Ikumoluyi also known as Ile-Eru, is among those cooling their heels in various prisons. The drug baron who masterminded the smuggling of drugs to Europe and other parts of the world is also being investigated by the Agency with a view to confiscating his assets, believed to have been purchased with illegal proceeds from drugs.
The Agency is, however, poised to pull in more drug barons. The Director-General/Secretary of the anti-narcotics body, Otunba Lanre Ipinmisho, said that several strategies are currently being adopted to reduce to the barest minimum, illicit drug trafficking and abuse. “Training and retraining is pivotal to the drug war and I can assure you that we will continuously take advantage of it to remain on top of the situation,” he declared.
Meanwhile, among those currently undergoing trial over the laundering of illicit drug proceeds is a female banker that assisted a suspected drug baron to conceal proceeds of alleged shady drug deals. Speaking with our reporter, the NDLEA Director of Assets and Financial Investigations, Mr. Sunday Joseph Nbona said: “The Agency has in the past few months seized six cars, stocks worth N217million, N40million in bank accounts and physical cash in both local and foreign currencies. A total of 26 landed properties investigated were also recommended for forfeiture”.
The discovery and seizure of stocks belonging to a suspected drug baron in a single bank valued at N212million is one of the remarkable achievements of the Agency to deny drug barons of illicit drug proceeds. The Director of Operations and General Investigations, Alhaji Baba Hussaini said that the Agency is also monitoring the use of courier companies in illicit drug trafficking and that any act of complicity will be treated accordingly. “We are glad that some of these companies now appreciate the relevance of our obligation and they are cooperating with us; but we are keeping tabs on them,” Baba stated.
The need to partner with credible stakeholders has made the Agency to extend its hand of fellowship to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, UNODC. This understanding was brought to bear when the NDLEA held a national workshop in conjunction with UNODC and other stakeholders to revalidate the National Drug Control Master Plan, NDCMP, in February 2008. The UN body is also working with the Agency to adopt an alternative method that will make cannabis cultivators shift to cultivation of food and cash crops. Towards this, a successful national forum was held at Gwagwalada, Abuja in June 2008 with representatives of farmers in the country. As the NDLEA is working round the clock to rid the country of illicit drugs, all hands must be on deck to support the campaign.
JEROME ASATO
15 November 2008 11:00please i want to know when ndlea recruitment forms will be out.