• Lawmaker Fights in Vain to Stop Prosecution Arrested,

• Safiu Kehinde

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has disclosed finding illicit drugs in the residence of a serving Nigerian Senator, Oyelola Ashiru.

The agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, made this disclosure in a statement issued from its National Headquarters, Abuja, on Monday.

Reacting to the corruption allegation melted against NDLEA by the Senator representing Kwara South, Babafemi disclosed that his allegation was borne out of vendetta.

The NDLEA spokesperson linked Ashiru’s attack to alleged discovery of illicit drugs in the lawmaker’s house.

He further narrated how investigations had disclosed Ashiru’s alleged involvement in drug trafficking tarced back to his hometown in Offa, Kwara State.

“While we cannot fault the power of the senate on that, yet for a member of the upper chamber to have made such an unfounded and unwarranted categorical statement against the Agency led us to look inward to see what could have been responsible for such a carpeting general statement.

“What we found was shocking, and we concluded that his statement came from a place of vendetta and certainly not out of public interest or any altruistic motive.

“The personal house of the senator in GRA Ilorin, the capital of Kwara State, had been raided in recent past, where drugs and illicit substances were recovered while two of his aides: Ibrahim Mohammed and Muhammed Yahaya were arrested.

“Based on credible intelligence and surveillance which confirmed that the senator’s house was being used as a drug joint for drug dealers and users, the house was raided by our operatives at 1:30pm on February 4, 2024 during which the two aides were arrested, while a third suspect escaped arrest.

“In another encounter with the senator, the Agency also received intelligence that some of his boys popularly known as “Omo Senator” operating from his home town, Offa, were equally dealing in illicit drugs.

“A raid was subsequently carried out on their joint in Offa where one of them, Oluwatosin Odepidan was arrested and illicit drugs such as methamphetamine and cannabis recovered from him on June 11, 2023.

“The bid to get the Agency drop the case against Odepidan including a visit to the Kwara State Command headquarters of the Agency in Ilorin by the Personal Assistant to the senator, one Omoluabi, was rebuffed as Odepidan was promptly charged to court and prosecuted.

“Though the culprit jumped court bail in 2023, he was rearrested in 2024 after the court issued a bench warrant for his arrest. He was eventually convicted and sentenced in June 2024.

“So, going by this backstory, it is deductible that these encounters that the Agency has had with the senator, must have been responsible for his outburst, and unfortunately, false allegation, the type that nobody within and outside of government has ever levelled against NDLEA before.” Babafemi wrote.

Meanwhile, the agency said disregarded the impression Senator Ashiru was trying to create about its image, stressing that it has been receiving accolades from local and international bodies for its successes in the fight against substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking.

“Incidentally, the next day after Senator Ashiru made the statement, NDLEA in Lagos commissioned a new Marine Command Headquarters building donated by the Government of the UK.

“A similar facility at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport was donated last year by the same British government.

“We have had other facilities donated by United States INL and executed by UNODC in the past 12 months. We have been receiving various support from the governments of France, Germany and the US, among others.

“Suffice it to say that in the past three years, NDLEA has emerged as a regional leader among national drug law enforcement agencies. So, come to think about it, an agency so badmouthed by Senator Ashiru couldn’t have been attracting such international goodwill and commendation for being the “most corrupt government agency” in Nigeria.

“Against the background of our encounter with people linked to him, we are wont to believe that Senator Ashiru’s invectives against NDLEA were borne out of vendetta and not any opinion made in the public interest.” The statement continued.

The NDLEA, however, vowed to remain undeterred by the Senator’s attack but will be relentless in ongoing effort to dismantle all illicit drug networks across the country including the one operating in the lawmaker’s house.

“So, if Senator Ashiru has a personal grudge against NDLEA, it shouldn’t be cloaked as a matter of public concern.

“His statement of October 15, 2024, uttered in the hallowed chamber of the Nigerian Senate, is a gross abuse of his position as a legislator of the Federal Republic to undermine an agency of government by wrong accusation calculated to erode public confidence in NDLEA and detract from its integrity.

“And we dare say that such will not deter us from our ongoing effort to dismantle all illicit drug networks including the one operating from the senator’s residence.
“NDLEA since January 2021 has been on a journey of reforms, and so far, we are glad with the progress we are making.

“We are grateful to the federal and state governments for the support we have been enjoying.

“We are equally grateful to the National Assembly for the huge support they give that has made possible the turnaround of NDLEA from a dormant agency to a vibrant government organ.

“We equally acknowledge the unprecedented collaboration with our partners, which has made our work easier. We have concrete results to show for our efforts, and those results cannot be wished away by anyone’s careless remarks.” The statement read further.