Human Rights Group Asks Presidency To Investigate NDLEA Boss …Calls For Release Of Abba Kyari

A human rights group, Center for Democracy and Human Rights (CEDEHUR) has called on the federal government to begin investigation on the activities of the chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brigadier Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd).

The Executive Director of CEDEHUR, Adekunle Thomas in a World Press Conference held in Abuja, the nation’s capital on Wednesday disclosed that the call for the investigation of the NDLEA boss was over what they described as complicity of the NDLEA boss in the fight against drug trafficking in Nigeria.

According to CEDEHUR, NDLEA officers under the watch of Marwa instead of arresting and prosecuting illicit drug offenders, have been protecting drug peddlers.

On why they were calling for the release of detained ACP Abba Kyari and other detained police officers, CEDEHUR said it was legally and morally wrong to detain the IRT officers for 15 months without bail while the said international drug traffickers the IRT arrested and voluntarily transferred to NDLEA were now free.”We also have been following the trial of the policemen and we are puzzled that a sister agency out of vendetta could deploy state machinery and resources to punish security agents that arrested and handed over these international drug traffickers to them and allowed the same Drug Traffickers to be regain freedom in 16 months to Continue their Drug business.

“We found out during one of the hearings of the case that, contrary to the NDLEA’s claim that policemen were involved in international drug trafficking, it was clearly established in court that Kyari and the IRT were not. The allegation which the court would determine was a smoke screen to embark on a media trial and conceal the real drug barons.

“It was also established in court through testimonies from witnesses and scientific evidence that the 17kg of the drugs the NDLEA is claiming the Police IRT that arrested the Drug traffickers and Voluntarily  transferred to them tempered with, is completely False.

“We won’t talk much about the ongoing trial so we won’t be prejudicial but suffice to state clearly that:

“The Police IRT solely  arrested the two international drug traffickers who successfully brought in over twenty kilograms (20kgs) of cocaine into Nigeria through the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu.

“That the international drug traffickers were arrested at the car park of the Enugu airport, after having been cleared by some corrupt officials of the NDLEA at the airport as confessed by the drug traffickers themselves.

“That the NDLEA whose duty is to arrest such traffickers and prevent drugs from coming into the country, did not arrest them and instead aided and abetted them to traffic hard drugs into the country as confessed by the International Drug traffickers both on video and written statements, for which the Police requested the NDLEA to Produce their indicted officers in Enugu Airport and they refused.

“That the drug traffickers confessed in open court as to the manner in which the NDLEA officials facilitated the trafficking of the drugs. They went further to inform the court how they did everything in their power to compromise the IRT policemen, but they refused to be compromised, and instead transferred the international drug traffickers and drugs to the NDLEA only to be framed up by the same NDLEA.

“Therefore the Police Officers should be granted bail forthwith as the alleged offence for which they are charged with are bailable and the real criminals have been released already.”

Read the Press Statement of CEDEHUR Below

TEXT OF THE WORLD PRESS CONFERENCE ADDRESSED BY THE CENTRE FOR DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS (CEDEHUR) IN ABUJA ON MONDAY 22ND OF MAY, 2023.

ON THE COMPLICITY OF THE NDLEA IN THE FIGHT AGAINST DRUG TRAFFICKING IN NIGERIA.

Protocol

Good morning ladies and gentleman of the fourth Estate of the realm. On behalf of the Center for Democracy and Human Rights (CEDEHUR) we welcome you all to this Press Conference.
1. Last Friday, the media was awash with the release of two convicted Notorious  International drug traffickers arrested by Police IRT in January, who were transferred to the NDLEA. The IRT had arrested Chibunna Patrick Umeibe and Emeka Alphonsus Ezenwanne, at the car park of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu on 19/1/2022 and in Just 16 months this Drug kingpins were released.

2. The police had swooped on the two after the whistle-blower revealed all their movements and activities right from Brazil to Ethiopia and Nigeria, via the Enugu Airport. They arrived at Enugu Airport with over 21kg of drugs full to the brim  in their 2 carry on bags. Shockingly, despite the presence of all security agents including the men of the NDLEA, they were cleared.

3. The police as we stated above arrested them afterwards. They were moved to Abuja for preliminary investigation and  onward handover to the NDLEA, which has the authority to handle the matter. It’s the usual practice and that was not the first-time drug traffickers arrested by the police would be handed over to the NDLEA.

4. The police rejected all offers by the international Drug Traffickers to take the whole drugs in addition to an offer by the arrested drug traffickers for them to be released by the Police IRT  as testified by the Drug Traffickers in the Court.

5. The International Drug Traffickers were eventually interrogated where they confessed to the crime in written and on Video, explaining how they usually send their pictures to the NDLEA agents at the Enugu airport before they arrive in Nigeria for easy identification to enable them pass freely with the drugs.

6. After The videos of their confession, they indicted NDLEA agents, Also called  the full names, addresses, phone numbers and  identities of the Big Drug Barons Sponsoring  them and settling the NDLEA before they land in Enugu Airport, the police eventually handed over the men to the NDLEA for further investigation.

THE DRUG IMPORTER FIGHTS BACK

7. One would have expected that the NDLEA would appreciate the routine arrest and handover of arrested drug traffickers but things changed when the agency went full throttle to Organised a set up, indicted the police officers that arrested these two drug traffickers and transferred to them.

8. The NDLEA went on a media frenzy falsely linking DCP Abba Kyari, ACP Sunday Ubua to drug cartels and also alleging some parts of the drugs they arrested and transferred to NDLEA were tampered with.

The Police officers who arrested the International drug traffickers were eventually maliciously charged to court alongside Chibuinna Patrick Umeibe and Emeka Alphonsus Ezenwanne as co-defendants when the allegations were different.

9. It left much to be desired that these police officers were charged on the same charge sheet with the drug traffickers they arrested and Voluntarily transferred to NDLEA but the details of that is left for the court to decide.

9. It will also interest you all to know that, my father, Mr Sunday Emaluji was kidnapped in Kaduna and held hostage for days by kidnappers who demanded ransom of N50m. It took the intervention of DCP Abba Kyari and his IRT to secure his release, just the same way they have risen to the occasions of kidnapping all over the country over the years.

10. The list is endless when it comes to the number of kidnappings, Terrorism and other serious crimes Kyari and the IRT team have stepped into to rescue.
A. Need we remind the public that the IRT team led by Kyari successfully arrested the gang that kidnapped and killed Late Col. Yunusa in Kaduna, the gang that kidnapped Ambassador Bagudu Hirse, close to the resident of Mamman Daura in Kaduna, same gang kidnapped Dr. Abdul Malik Durunguwa and his wife, member of the Kaduna state house of assembly and many more.

B. They also brought down Chibuike aka Vampire, one of the deadliest kidnappers in the south East who was earlier rescued from a State High Court in Owerri by his men in an operation that claimed the lives of eight (8) persons in the Court premises including correctional officers.

C. They arrested the Billionaire kidnapper, Chukwudidume Onwuamadike aka Evans who reigned terror in Lagos, forcing many Billionaire Igbo businessmen to abandon their homes in Festac and environs for fear of him.

D. They rescued a kinsman of President Muhammadu Buhari, the Magajin Garin Daura, who was kidnapped by a terrorist group, who kept him hostage for more than two months and demanded ransom of $30million, until Kyari and his men successfully rescued him alive without any ransom payment, and arrested Fourteen of the terrorists.

E. Arrest of the terrorists gang responsible for the kidnapping of the elder brother of the current governor of Bauchi State.

F. The arrest of 22 Boko Haram terrorist commanders coordinating all Suicide bombings in Borno state and North east.

G. Arrested Boko Haram terrorist who Bomb Nya Nya Motor Park and Kuje Market in Abuja 2015, Traced and destroyed 2 of their Bomb making Factories in Gaulaka Niger state and Karma jiji Abuja, That ended Terrorist Bombings in Abuja.

H. Arrest of the Killer of General Alex Badeh former Chief of Defence Staff, Arrest of kidnappers and killers of Rev Father Adeyi in Benue state, kidnappers of Chief Olu Falae in ondo State, Kidnappers of Ikorodu School Children, Epe School children, Turkish School Children in Lagos.

I. Arrest of the Kidnappers of Oni OF Iba first class king in Lagos, Arrest of Godogodo the most wanted Armed robber in Nigeria for 14years etc etc The list is endless but just for your notice in case you want to cross check.

CHIBUINNA PATRICK UMEIBE AND EMEKA ALPHONSUS EZENWANNE TRIAL

11. Following the media trial, we began to follow the case if we can determine the involvement or otherwise of the police officers.

12. We uncovered a shocking act that revealed something sinister. One, the Big drug barons that both Umeibe and Ezenwanne mentioned as their sponsors were not declared wanted nor arrested. There was no mention of them.

13. Again, the drug traffickers were goaded into accepting a plea bargain in order to testify against the police officers and also stop indicting NDLEA as they did while they were with the Police. That was why the drug traffickers were charged alongside the police officers as co-defendants instead of separately because the NDLEA allegations were different.

This goes to show the malicious vandetta of the NDLEA against the Police Officers and your guess is as good as mine.

14. Eventually, because the stage was prepared to shield the drug barons, both Umeibe and Ezenwanne were sentenced to two years in prison beginning from the day of their arrest as a result of a ridiculous plea bargain against the interest of Nigeria but aimed at shielding indicted NDLEA Officers.

TRIAL OF THE POLICEMEN

15. We also have been following the trial of the policemen and we are puzzled that a sister agency out of vendetta could deploy state machinery and resources to punish security agents that arrested and handed over these international drug traffickers to them and allowed the same Drug Traffickers to be regain freedom in 16 months to Continue their Drug business.

16. We found out during one of the hearings of the case that, contrary to the NDLEA’s claim that policemen were involved in international drug trafficking, it was clearly established in court that Kyari and the IRT were not. The allegation which the court would determine was a smoke screen to embark on a media trial and conceal the real drug barons.

17. It was also established in court through testimonies from witnesses and scientific evidence that the 17kg of the drugs the NDLEA is claiming the Police IRT that arrested the Drug traffickers and Voluntarily  transferred to them tempered with, is completely False.

18. We won’t talk much about the ongoing trial so we won’t be prejudicial but suffice to state clearly that:

A. The Police IRT solely  arrested the two international drug traffickers who successfully brought in over twenty kilograms (20kgs) of cocaine into Nigeria through the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu.

B. That the international drug traffickers were arrested at the car park of the Enugu airport, after having been cleared by some corrupt officials of the NDLEA at the airport as confessed by the drug traffickers themselves.

C. That the NDLEA whose duty is to arrest such traffickers and prevent drugs from coming into the country, did not arrest them and instead aided and abetted them to traffic hard drugs into the country as confessed by the International Drug traffickers both on video and written statements, for which the Police requested the NDLEA to Produce their indicted officers in Enugu Airport and they refused.

D. That the drug traffickers confessed in open court as to the manner in which the NDLEA officials facilitated the trafficking of the drugs. They went further to inform the court how they did everything in their power to compromise the IRT policemen, but they refused to be compromised, and instead transferred the international drug traffickers and drugs to the NDLEA only to be framed up by the same NDLEA.

19. The international drug traffickers had been trafficking drugs for a long time and multiple times using the Akanu Ibiam international Airport in Enugu successfully and a look at their passport history will clearly show this. They were arrested by the IRT after they were cleared with their drugs, full to the brim in their carry-on bags at the Enugu airport Car park and in their confessional video and written statements clearly indicted the NDLEA officers at Enugu airport.

20. The Police IRT team led by ASP James Bawa and his immediate Boss, all being a respecter of government institutions voluntarily decided not to personally investigate the NDLEA officers in Enugu Airport but handed the International Drug Traffickers, the seized drugs and their confessional statements to the NDLEA authorities to investigate and prosecute, who in a twist of faith and facts then fabricated a set up against the IRT officers.

RELEASE OF DRUG CRIMINALS

21. It was shocking to see that, 15 months into their sentence, the drug traffickers were released into the drug business firmament. The same NDLEA which paved the way for these men to go back to enjoy their loot and re-join the drug trafficking trade and refused to arrest the drug barons behind them, Out of Vandetta and vindictiveness continue to fight tooth and nail for the IRT police officers not to be granted bail.

22. As if the freeing of these drug criminals was not enough or the arraignment of the police officers, the NDLEA has continued to play to the gallery by filing cases in different courts against these IRT officers, while the Real Criminals the International Drug traffickers were given soft landing and they were released on 19/5/2023.

23. The NDLEA has also acted unlawfully by marking houses owned by the family members, relatives and parents bought over 25 years ago when some of them were in School. The houses have been marked with red inks as exhibits without proper investigation and any evidence linking any of these officers to those Properties.
The lawyers to  the Police Officers have consistently and publicly challenged NDLEA to release to the public any evidence linking the Officer to such properties or outrageous and Fictitious Big monies in Bank accounts the NDLEA maliciously and falsely leaked to the Public.

24. Unfortunately, the NDLEA has not seized or marked the houses of these drug traffickers, not even the properties of the drug barons that were mentioned in the confession of these drug traffickers.

In fact, one of the IRT officers has been charged to court for not declaring his assets which is a job for the Code of conduct bureau. Why all these desperation on the Police officers when you allowed the International drug traffickers they arrested and Voluntarily transferred to you, go free.

25. The question we would like to ask the NDLEA is if it is now required by law that you must declare the assets of your Parents, friends, relatives and family members as a police officer? Why all these vendetta on the Parents and family members of the Police officer. What have they done to the parents and family members of the international drug traffickers arrested and given to them?

CEDEHUR demands that:
1. The president or the presidency should immediately set up a committee to investigate the activities of the NDLEA and drug traffickers under Gen Buba Marwa(rtd) especially in this case were clearly indicted NDLEA officers were shielded and many other NDLEA officers including One Sunday Zirandi Director of intelligence who was indicted by Ex NDLEA officer for Connivance with drug barons, Diversions of recovered drugs, Murder case among others.

We state that the ex-NDLEA officer has filed a case in court that is pending before the industrial court. The matter was in the media severally 2022 and if found guilty or wanted he should be appropriately Sanctioned  and all indicted officers should face the full wrath of the Law.

2. It is legally and morally wrong to detain these IRT officers for 15 months without bail while the International drug traffickers the Police IRT arrested and Voluntarily transferred to NDLEA are now free, Thanks to ridiculous and compromised Plea Bargain that make them got 16months in Prisonment instead of 28 years.
Therefore the Police Officers should be granted bail forthwith as the alleged offence for which they are charged with are bailable and the real criminals have been released already.

3. These IRT officers are not flight risks if granted bail considering the fact that they refused to escape when the Kuje prison was attacked by terrorists and over 900 prisoners escaped freely that night.

4. The security situation in Nigeria today especially relating to kidnapping and terrorism has worsened with the continued detention of the IRT team, therefore they should be released to continue the fight against kidnappers and terrorism as National Security of this Country is paramount.

5. That two prominent Billionaire drug barons arrested in Lagos who were allegedly involved with massive drug importation worth over 22 billion naira and 8.9 Billion naira respectively as announced by NDLEA press releases in 2022 namely Mallison Ukatu and Chief Ugoh were arrested by the NDLEA and were later released after a few months in detention and happily went home and reunited with their families and even did Thanksgiving in church, Is it that Billionaire Drug Barons are more important and can be given soft landing but not Officers who arrest Drug traffickers and refused to compromise and transferred the suspect to NDLEA?

6. The Big drug barons shielded by NDLEA that the convicted international drug traffickers mentioned in their confession and statements as Sponsors and also responsible for Settling the NDLEA officers in the Airport and sending the pictures of the incoming drug traffickers to NDLEA officers before their Arrival with the heavy Drugs should be arrested, investigated and Prosecuted by a Neutral agency like the DSS immediately.

7. Finally, all this should be done before the inauguration of the new government on the 29th of May as it won’t be proper and healthy for Nigeria to take off on its new journey with a compromised NDLEA leading the fight against drug traffickers and hard drugs in Nigeria.

Conclusion.

Fellow Nigerians the Center for democracy and human rights believes that in the interest of justice, fairness and equity Abba Kyari and his team should be granted bail as enshrined in our constitution.

They have sacrificed so much for the security of this country and do not deserve this kind of dehumanising treatment being meted out to them.

Ladies and gentlemen, members of the fourth Estate of the realm, the centre for democracy and human rights wish you all a safe journey as you leave here…

God bless you all.

Efforts at the time of filing the report to reach the spokesman to NDLEA, Femi Baba Femi at the time of filing the report could not yield positive fruit.