Hard Drugs Discovered In Senator Ashiru’s Residence During February Raid: NDLEA

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on Monday announced that it found hard drugs and other illegal substances when it raided the Ilorin home of Kwara South Senator Oyelola Ashiru last February.

NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy Femi Babafemi shared this information in response to Senator Ashiru's recent claim that the agency was ineffective and had become compromised in its duties.

The senator made this claim during a debate on a bill to establish the National Institute for Drug Awareness and Rehabilitation.

"Drug issues have become a very serious problem. Without being economical with the truth, more than 70% of our youthful population is into drug consumption," Ashiru said, Premium Times reported.

"And from my own little discussion in my constituency, I discovered that the issue goes beyond NDLEA. NDLEA has become so compromised, so ineffective to the extent that even drug enforcement or drug education, NDLEA will never get where we are going to," he added.

Babafemi said the agency felt it was necessary to hold the press briefing because of unfortunate remarks made against the NDLEA during a session in the Nigerian Senate last week. He described these remarks as uncomplimentary, unfounded and defamatory.

He acknowledged the important work the Senate does to support Nigeria and its people, especially in amending the act that established the NDLEA. However, he noted that the agency had to respond to Ashiru's unprovoked attack during the debate on the new bill.

The NDLEA director mentioned that the agency waited a week, hoping the senator would clarify his serious allegations against them. When he did not do so, the agency felt it had no choice but to correct the record.

Babafemi said that the anti-drug agency raided the senator's apartment on Feb. 4 at around 1:30 p.m. after receiving reliable information that he was using his apartment as a place for drug dealers and users of hard drugs.

Babafemi reported that two of the senator's aides were arrested during the raid, while a third aide managed to escape. The director explained that the senator's house in GRA Ilorin, the capital of Kwara State, had previously been raided, where drugs and illegal substances were found.

The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service Bashir Adeniyi revealed in August that they found a container worth N9.6 billion, comprising Tramadol, codeine and other illegal drugs, along with 720 bales of second-hand clothing valued at N144 million.