Charged at last

...as Court remands NDLEA operative, four others in prison custody

Emeka Ibemere

Barley three months after hide and seek in the arrest of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency’s drug boss for helping a suspected drug trafficker to pass drug at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, MMIA, the agency has finally charged the suspect to court.

It would be recalled that Daily Newswatch had earlier last week, reported the alleged scam and attempt by the agency to cover up the scam and treat it as an ‘internal-affairs’. But when the story hit the news stand on Monday last week, the agency’s authorities decided to charge the suspects to court for aiding and abetting of drug trafficking.

 Ibidayin Godwin, an NDLEA operative attached to the Anambra State Command, was arrested at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, MMIA, at the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) Shed by NDLEA operatives.  He allegedly flew into Lagos State after abandoning his duty post in Anambra to pass a drug trafficker who was to use the MMIA, to his destination.

He was quickly picked up for allegedly aiding and abetting a suspected drug trafficker one Adetoye Taiwa in smuggling 3kg of methamphetamine to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.  Our investigation revealed that Ibidayin was not alone in the scam. He mentioned   three other of his clandestine drug cartel in the scam as one, Taiwo Ososanya, Fatai Olawale Akera and Alhaji Yusuf Olayemi Bankole who are being quizzed by the NDLEA’s investigators. Our source in NDLEA told our correspondent that Ibidayin was alleging that he was going to mention other senior colleagues of him, in the court.

Honourable Justice C. J Aneke of the Federal High Court Ikoyi on Wednesday remanded the NDLEA, Ibidayin Godwin and four others; Adetoye Taiwa, Taiwo Ososanya, Fatai Olawale Akera and Alhaji Yusuf Olayemi Bankole in prison custody pending the perfection of their bail conditions.

They were arraigned by the NDLEA on a five- count charge to which they pleaded not guilty.

In his application for bail, the defense counsel Barrister Benson Ndakara, said that the accused are entitled to bail and assured that they would be available for trial.

The Director of Prosecution, Barrister Joseph Sunday Nbona, who was represented by Barrister Ichapa Oigoga, however opposed the bail application.

In his riling, Justice Aneke granted the accused bail on the following conditions. Each of the accused persons was granted bail in the sum of N5million (five million naira) and a surety in like sum.

The Surety must be a Public Servant not below grade level twelve in the federal or State Civil Service and must be resident within jurisdiction of the court or the surety must own a landed property and the certified true copy of the deed must be deposited in court.

The surety must produce evidence of tax payment via a three years tax clearance and the prosecution (NDLEA) is to verify the authenticity of all documents presented by the sureties within forty-eight hours.

The first count states “that Taiwo Adetoye, Fatai Olawale Akera and Ibidayin Godwin conspired among themselves and one Ossy a drug baron now at large to export 3kg of meth contrary to section 14b of the NDLEA Act Cap N30 Laws of the Federation 2004”.
Count 2 reads “that Taiwo Adetoye, Taiwo Ososanya and Yusuf. Bankole conspired to deal in and sell 3kg of meth contrary to and punishable under section 14b of the NDLEA Act”. While Count 3 reads “that Taiwo Adetoye, Fatai Olawale Akera and Ibidayin Godwin exported 3kg of meth without lawful authority contrary to section 11b of the NDLEA Act,
Count 4 reads
“that Taiwo Adetoye, Fatai Olawale Akera and Yusuf Olayemi Bankole dealt in 3kg of methamphetamine contrary to section 11c of the NDLEA and
Count 5 reads that Yusuf Olayemi Bankole allowed his premises and office at the NAHCO Shed to be used to store a parcel knowing same to contain 3kg of meth contrary to and punishable under section 12 of the NDLEA Act”.

However, the Honourable Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade has charged the prosecution to diligently prosecute the case. “I want this case diligently prosecuted. The Agency will continue to provide a level playing field for all. No stone must be left unturned in the quest for a drug-free society. We must bring every culprit to justice by turning our investigative search light in all directions,” Giade stated.

In another development, operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement (NDLEA) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos have arrested a 34-year-old man, Nriagwu Augustine Ifeanyi with 1.370kg of whitish powdery substance that tested positive for cocaine. The arrest and seizure took place at the departure hall during screening of passengers on a Turkish Airline flight.  According to the NDLEA Commander at the Lagos Airport Mr. Hamza Umar the drug was packed in two parcels inside a laptop bag.

“The suspect was found with two parcels of cocaine industrially hidden by the sides of his laptop bag. He was detected on his way to Turkey from where he would have proceeded to South Sudan. The drug tested positive for cocaine and weighed 1.370kg”.

The suspect in his statement said that he smuggled the drug in anticipation of $3,500. “I wanted to use the $3,500 they promised to pay me to take care of my personal problems. I relocated to South Sudan in January 2013. I am married and have a child but I am unable to care for my family due to financial constraint. Nobody wants to help me and the only way out for me was to smuggle the drugs. This was how I got involved,” Nriagwu stated. He hails from Anambra State.

The Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade said that the Agency would continue to engage in both drug supply and demand reduction activities towards making the country drug-free.

“The NDLEA will continue to pursue its mandate with all diligence. We shall cut off the supply of drug through arrests and prosecution of drug traffickers. We shall also intensify our anti-drug abuse public enlightenment programmes,” Giade stated.

Meanwhile, as others are still in court another emerging distressing revelation of an existing criminal alliance between Drug Barons and key NDLEA personnel who are in leadership positions are causing expected ripples at the Ondo State Command where a cartel has been operating for long.

The bubble burst last week for the cartel in Ondo state of Nigeria with the shocking disclosure of the bizarre relationship which has also been found to have considerably accounted for the high level proliferation of drugs for international trafficking and local consumption, as well as supply to all the nooks and crannies of the country.

According to our correspondent’s investigation, this deadly relationship provided guarantee that NDLEA operatives are at the prompting of the hierarchy fostered enabling environment and cover for high impact drug producers to operate.

“The business is thriving because the Barons have money to fill the pockets of the operatives. With the money, they cultivate extensive cannabis plantation, which proceeds are shared between the Barons and the NDLEA hierarchy”, one of the staff, in the Ondo Command revealed.

“This cartel had carried on with impunity until the recent intervention of international collaborators from the United States of America who have become uncomfortable with intelligence reports on the source of the sustained high flow illicit cannabis distribution in the West African sub-region and dissatisfied with the local handling of drug supply control, especially that which points to collusion of personnel of the Agency”.

It was gathered that four USDEA Agents seized the intelligence report given to them and swiftly acted on it and directly supervised the operations that led to the discovery of several cannabis plantations measuring over two hundred hectares and worth billions in Naira in the surrounding forests of Irele community in Ondo state. These were said to be among the cannabis plantations that NDLEA personnel were protecting for the Barons in return for money.
Daily Newswatch gathered that in the course of the operation, six suspects were arrested including the Treasurer/Accountant of the syndicate.

The ringleader of the gang and other significant cartel members escaped arrest.

Our source, who pleaded anonymity because of fear of victimization from the NDLEA headquarters, said apart from statements obtained from all the arrested suspects, some NDLEA officers in Ondo state were made to volunteer statements before the USDEA Agents, who departed for Lagos on Sunday 13th July, 2014, for proper investigation.
“This development has naturally dealt a debilitating blow on the integrity rating of the nation and put a lot of question marks on the genuineness of our often mouthed commitment to the suppression of illicit drug business”, our source claimed.

The NDLEA Commander in Ondo state, Mr Walter S. Nicholas, who was said to have retired from public service, having attained statutory age and number of years in service, still retains his appointment on the grounds that his employment was extended by Ahmadu Giade, NDLEA boss without recourse to service rules.

The cartels’ activities have boomeranged and have exposed NDLEA and by extension the present Nigerian government and her claimed effort in fighting corruption and criminality in high places.

“It is not just unethical, dishonourable and abhorrent for any NDLEA personnel to engage in activities that are supportive of illicit drug dealing; the matter at hand is that of gross misconduct stemming from irredeemable avarice and evident lack of human compassion. All those found culpable are no patriots at all.

The Spokesman for the Agency, Micheal Ofoyeju when contacted on the incident laughed over the incident and said the busting of the plantation was carried out by the officials of the agency, who led the operation.

 He said none of the allegations of staff collaboration with drug barons were true. He said destroying the agency with false information should desist from it and work as security personnel, they are. He promised to state the position of the incident next week and asked our correspondent to wait for next week.