PRESS RELEASE
......ARRESTS 4 WITH N374 MILLION DRUGS
Chairman/Chief Executives of the National Drug Law
Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Ahmadu Giade has ratified a planned amendment to
the NDLEA Act in search of stiffer penalties and easier forfeiture of illegal
drug proceeds. The proposed review is part of efforts to reposition the NDLEA
for enhanced performance and greater productivity. The management of the Agency
at the 2014 Command Officers Summit held in Kaduna made the crucial
recommendations on the way forward for the country’s drug control programmes.
The propositions coincided with the arrests of four suspected
drug traffickers by men of the NDLEA at the Murtala Mohammed International
Airport (MMIA) Lagos. The drugs weighing 41.625kg with an estimated street
value of over three hundred and seventy-four million naira (N374,625,000)
consist of 36.675kg of methamphetamine and 4.95kg of cocaine. The drugs were
hidden in security lamps, silicon sealants, foodstuff and luggage.
NDLEA Commander at the Lagos airport, Hamza Umar said that
those arrested include a mother of seven children and three men. According to
Hamza, “those apprehended are Obi John Chukwuenyem, 48 years old, found with
21.695kg of methamphetamine hidden inside his bag; Gilbert Kelvin, 37 years old
caught with 9.980kg of methamphetamine hidden inside solar security lamps;
Deborah Ifeoma, 40 years old found with 5kg of methamphetamine hidden inside
foodstuff and Okafor Michael, 44 years old caught with 4.95kg of cocaine inside
silicon sealants. Apart from Okafor Michael that was coming from Sao Paulo with
4.95kg of cocaine the other three suspects were trying to smuggle
methamphetamine to South Africa where they reside”.
The amendment to the enabling law of the Agency, the National
Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act CAP N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2014
is expected to cover penalty for offences as well as asset forfeiture. Others
include improvement in staff welfare, a review of the training curriculum at
the NDLEA Academy and code of ethics. The commanders also agreed to have an
effective public private partnership for the Agency and a robust community
based drug control policy.
There was a unanimous vote for stringent recruitment and
vetting policy, reorganization of the public affairs unit, decentralization of
the Agency’s forensic laboratory and account system and a dedicated fund for
research and drug abuse preventive education. The management agreed to improve the
management of the Agency’s website and upgrade its counseling programmes with
the employment of Sociologists, Nurses, Psychologists, Guidance and Counselors
as well as other social workers.
NDLEA Chairman said that efforts are ongoing to enhance the
overall performance of the Agency. “The focus of the NDLEA is a positive change
towards an intelligence led counter narcotics Agency. In line with this paradigm
shift, we are putting in place processes and mechanisms to propel operational
efficiency. It is urgent for us to close any lacuna in the Act in furtherance
of the fight against narcotics. Nigerians should expect high performance in the
days ahead in terms of arrest, prosecution, community mobilization,
rehabilitation and after-care support services to persons with drug abuse
challenges” Giade stated.
The NDLEA boss also reiterated his call for more public
support in the fight against illicit drugs in the country.
One of the suspected drug traffickers, Obi John Chukwuenyem who
lives in South Africa with his three children said that he was lured into drug
trafficking on his birthday. “I struggle to feed my family by selling foodstuff.
At present my capital is so small that the business is near moribund. A friend
met me on my birthday and introduced me into drug trafficking. He promised to
pay me 15,000 South Africa rand. My children are out of school because of my
inability to pay tuition fee. This is my first time of dealing in drugs and I
regret everything. I pray to be out of this problem” he lamented.
The story of Gilbert is not different from that of Obi John. “I
reside in South Africa where I import and export phones and clothes. I have
five children from three women. My business is grounded and I now live from
hand to mouth. My friend in South Africa for over ten years gave me solar lamp where
the drug was found. He used to assist me financially and he also promised to
pay for my children’s school fees” Gilbert stated.
Deborah Ifeoma, a mother of seven children lives in South
Africa with her family. According to her, “I have seven children and I take
care of them from the sales of foodstuff. I came to Nigeria to buy foodstuff
like melon, vegetables and other local spices. There is a man in South Africa
that I went to request for financial assistance to enable me expand my
business. He called me that somebody will give me some food items for him. When
I got to the airport, NDLEA officers detected methamphetamine in the package
given to me by the man. This was how I found myself in this situation”.
Okafor Michael had 4.95kg of cocaine neatly concealed inside
silicon sealants on his way from Brazil. The 44 year-old music producer based
in Asaba told narcotic investigators that he went to Brazil to promote his
music label. In his words, “I am a music producer. I travelled to Brazil to
promote my music label and to partner with other producers. I had a successful
deal but on my way back, I accepted a bag from a friend I met in Sao Paulo to
take to Nigeria. When I got here, NDLEA demanded to search and 29 out of the 34
sealants were found to contain cocaine. This is a major setback for my career
and I feel very bad”.
Ofoyeju Mitchell
Head, Public Affairs
08034088136
No comments:
Post a Comment