NDLEA gives Ekiti drivers ultimatum to produce suspected drug dealers

Raises concern over Nigerians in foreign jails

THE National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the officials of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Ekiti State to produce the three suspects that escaped in a mob action  on Tuesday.

However, the NURTW Chairman in the state, Chief Julius Jegede, denied the allegation that members of his association masterminded the mob attack.

Jegede, who was optimistic that the matter would be resolved amicably, also absolved his men of dealing in hard drugs on the premises of the motor park.

NDLEA threatened that it would take all necessary action against those that masterminded the Tuesday’s mob action against his men during a raid on a motor park in Ajilosun Area of Ado Ekiti.

In a statement by the state Commander, Mr. Akingbade Bamidele, the agency indicted the leadership of the state’s drivers’ union of orchestrating the mob attack on his men in order to free the suspects.

Akingbade threatened that failure to produce the suspects could attract heavy sanctions on the officials of the union.

Irked by the way the operatives allegedly fired sporadically gunshots into the air, the drivers were said to have descended heavily on the NDLEA’s operatives.

In the ensuing crisis, many people were said to have sustained injuries, while the suspects were said to have escaped in the process.

The NDLEA boss, however, denied the claim that his men shot a passenger during the raid.

The agency also claimed that as the drivers swooped on his men during the raid, two patrol vehicles, belonging to NDLEA were damaged .

Besides, the NDLEA Chairman,  Ahmadu Giade has expressed concern over  what he described  as  the large number of Nigerians in foreign prisons.

Giade who spoke at a media briefing in Abuja yesterday to commemorate the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Drug Trafficking said that the situation demanded the intervention of stakeholders as most of the drug convicts in foreign countries left the country in search of greener pastures but ended up smuggling drugs and giving the country a bad image.

According to him, the agency intercepted a total of 66,273kg of narcotics from drug cartels including 113.49kg of high grade heroin imported from Islamabad, Pakistan through the Tincan Island Port in Lagos.

He disclosed that 3,028 suspected drug traffickers were also apprehended while 686 culprits were successfully prosecuted since January 2012.

The seized drugs include 64,966.092kg of cannabis, 1,134.2kg of psychotropic substances, 131.196kg of heroin and 42.293kg of cocaine.

Cannabis farms measuring 141.019 hectares were also destroyed. In addition, the agency has so far publicly destroyed a total of 20,204.477kg of forfeited narcotics in Ogun, Benue and Kwara States since January 2012.

Meanwhile, the Bauchi State Command of the NDLEA has lamented the increasing involvement of youths in drugs and other substances. .

It stated that drug abuse was not only a threat to the state and nation, but also the cause of many crimes.

The state Commander, Mr. Julius Parah who spoke yesterday during a press briefing to mark the day of the United Nations’ Day against Drug Abuse, voiced concern over the high rate of trafficking in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances and warned that it was threatening the well-being and security of the state.