“A cartel comprising court
clerks and prison warders aided one-hundred and ninety-seven convicted drug
traffickers to evade serving their sentences,” the NDLEA chairman Ahmadu Giade
said.
The NDLEA boss who disclosed this while supervising the destruction of illicit drugs valued at N3.5 billion at Ibereko area of Badagry Lagos revealed how the convicted drug traffickers manipulated their way out of lawful custody.
The NDLEA boss who disclosed this while supervising the destruction of illicit drugs valued at N3.5 billion at Ibereko area of Badagry Lagos revealed how the convicted drug traffickers manipulated their way out of lawful custody.
Giade, who accused prison
officials and court clerks of criminally aiding the release of notorious drug
traffickers added men of NDLEA uncovered this plot when a drug convict who
ought to be in prison was re-arrested while attempting to smuggle drugs at the
Kano airport.
According to Giade, “a
cartel that aided one-hundred and ninety-seven convicted drug traffickers to
evade serving their sentences was detected by my men.
“The Police investigated
the case and confirmed my findings that one-hundred and ninety-seven drug
convicts were left off the hook with the connivance of some court clerks and
prison warders” Giade explained that “statutory, NDLEA has no business taking
care of an accused once the person had been arraigned and remanded in prison
custody. The Agency discovered that the criminal act took place between the
court and the prison after an accused had been sentenced.
“This is a wake-up call for
stakeholders to remain sensitive and prevent any act capable of undermining the
criminal justice system. We must continue to discharge our responsibilities
without compromise from the time a case is reported to when a convict completes
serving the prescribed punishment by the court”.
Meanwhile, the destroyed drugs
weighing 18,791.5953kg were seized by the NDLEA Lagos State Command, Murtala
Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) Command, Seme Border Special Area Command
and the National Headquarters.
Anybody could be let off the hook provided you have money, too corrupt
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