Senate Deputy Leader Oyelola Ashiru has challenged the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to prosecute anyone arrested by its operatives in connection with illicit drugs.
Ashiru last Wednesday in the Senate during debate on a Bill seeking to establish a National Institute for Drug Awareness and Rehabilitation, commented that the proposal was a welcome development as according to him, “NDLEA is corrupt and already compromised.”
But the NDLEA in its reaction to Ashiru’s statement by its Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, in Abuja on Monday, alleged the Senator’s comments were vindictive.
Babafemi alleged that Senator Ashiru made disparaging comments on NDLEA last week because of his failure to stop the arrest and trial of some persons allegedly found to be involved in drug abuse in his house.
In reaction to NDLEA’s allegations, Senator Ashiru’s special assistant, Olaitan Adeyanju, in a statement asked the anti-graft agency to go ahead and charge anyone accused of engaging in illicit drugs to court.
The statement reads in part: “The NDLEA claims to have discovered drugs in Senator Ashiru’s Ilorin house but there’s no information on which court of law the culprits were charged to.
“In fact, Senator Ashiru has been vocal about the NDLEA’s corruption and compromise, which might be the reason behind these allegations.”
The senator’s assistant also explained that Ashiru didn’t send any aide to influence the dropping of drug allegations against Tosin Odepidian and the names mentioned by the agency are unfamiliar.
“However, the Senator has challenged the agency to prosecute anyone that is found with illicit drugs,” he said. (Nation)