Nigeria Content Online

The National Drug Law Enforcement
Agency (NDLEA), on Monday, announced the arrest of three ex-convicts
and 18 others for peddling illicit drugs. According to the
anti-narcotics agency, the suspects, Chugbogu Joseph, 51; Uzoaru
Oliver, 35; and Oparaji Anthony, 40; all arrested in the month of June,
were earlier arrested by the NDLEA and convicted by the law.

“While two of the ex-convicts, Chugbogu
Joseph, and Uzoaru Oliver, were previously nabbed at the Lagos airport,
Oparaji Anthony was earlier arrested at the Mallam Aminu Kano
International Airport in Kano,” said Mitchell Ofoyeju, spokesperson for
the agency. Mr. Ofoyeju disclosed that Chigbogu Joseph was first
arrested on September 24, 2005 with 1.12kg cocaine, and after
completing his jail term he went back into drug trafficking by
ingesting 1.91kg of cocaine. According to the agency’s spokesperson,
Uzoaru Oliver was arrested in April 2008 and got a year sentence for
attempting to smuggle narcotics out of the country. “Few months after
completing his jail term, he ingested 915g of cocaine,” he said.
“Similarly, Oparaji Anthony also made the agency’s long list of drug
accused persons convicted in Kano. He too like few others is back into
the criminal act.”

Drug implications assessment

Calling for a critical assessment of
the implications of drug trafficking and the monetary value of drugs in
awarding punishment to drug culprits, Ahmadu Giade, chief executive of
the agency disclosed that a one-year sentence for an accused caught
with drugs worth over N10 million is grossly incommensurate. “The grave
implications of drug trafficking on the individual, family and society
must be appreciated by all,” he said. “Every act of drug trafficking
affects the image of our country. The economy also suffers from money
laundering activities just as the health condition of drug addicts
further deteriorate. We must strive to get the punishment right for
drug crimes. This will naturally complement supply control efforts of
the agency. On the contrary, if the attraction is higher than the
punishment more people will be attracted to narcotic smuggling. It is
laughable that some drug suspects may even start planning the next trip
from the day of their arrest.”

Hamza Umar, the airport commander for the agency, disclosed that the
airport command apprehended 21 suspected drug traffickers including
three ex-convicts and narcotics weighing 26.7kg were equally seized
last month, adding that the drugs consist of 26.02kg of cocaine and
700g of heroin. “Those arrested include 18 males and three females and
the estimated street value of the seized drugs has been placed at 260
million naira,” he said.