Gen. Buba Marwa, Senator Oyelola Yisa Ashiru
By Victory Oghene
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says Oyelola Yisa Ashiru, deputy majority leader of the senate, labelled the agency as being corrupt because hard drugs were found in his house and his aides arrested and prosecuted for drug related offences.
The agency added that the lawmaker’s outburst was borne out of vendetta.
It would be recalled that last week, Senator Ashiru, representing Kwara south, said “the agency is the most corrupt and compromised government agency” in the country and there is a need to establish a new organisation to curb drug addiction and trafficking.
The senator was contributing to a debate on a bill seeking to establish an institute for drug awareness and rehabilitation.
During that debate, Kawu Sumaila, senator representing Kano south, alleged that the homes of some politicians are being used to stockpile narcotics.
Reacting through a press conference in Abuja on Monday, Femi Babafemi, NDLEA’s director of media, said Ashiru’s outburst was because of his grouse with the agency.
“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,” Babafemi said.
“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.
“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 described Ashiru’s attack as “unfortunate”, saying: “There is no doubt that setting up another agency is within the power of the Senate and if we are invited to contribute to the debate we will be willing to offer our opinion.
“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.
“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 1:30 p.m. 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 hometown, 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 were recovered from him on June 11, 2023.
“The bid to get the agency to 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 re-arrested in 2024 after the court issued a bench warrant for his arrest. He was eventually convicted and sentenced in June 2024.
Babafemi stated that despite the impression Senator Ashiru was trying to create about the NDLEA, the agency has continued to receive accolades from local and international bodies for its successes in the fight against substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking.
The NDLEA spokesperson added that the agency would remain undeterred by Senator Ashiru’s attack but will be relentless in its ongoing effort to dismantle all illicit drug networks across the country, including the one allegedly operating in the lawmaker’s house.
“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.
