Deputy majority leader of the senate, Oyelola Ashiru’s office has countered the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency’s (NDLEA) claims that illicit drugs were found at his residence in Ilorin, Kwara State.
Gatekeepers News reports that the NDLEA alleged that its operatives raided the senator’s house and discovered drugs.
According to the statement signed on Monday by Olaitan Adeyanju, legislative aide to Ashiru, the NDLEA’s allegations are a desperate attempt to justify the Senator’s declaration on the senate floor that the agency is corrupt.
The statement pointed out that the NDLEA waited until after Ashiru’s senate declaration to make its allegations, which suggests that the agency is motivated by revenge rather than a genuine concern for justice.
“We find it preposterous and mere fishing for justification that NDLEA had to wait for the senator’s observation on the floor of the Senate before making its spurious allegations.”
The statement also clarified that Ashiru never employed any aides by the names of Ibrahim Mohammed or Mohammed Yahaya, as claimed by the NDLEA.
“The agency claimed that it operatives visited the senator’s Ilorin house and found nothing incriminating. The entire house was searched, and nothing incriminating was found. If any drugs were found on certain persons mentioned by the NDLEA, it is rational to ask at which court of law were the culprits charged?
“It is also important to state that Senator Ashiru has not sent any aide to the NDLEA to influence the dropping of drug allegations against anyone known as Tosin Odepidian. Indeed, all the names mentioned by the agency are strange, and none works directly or indirectly with Senator Ashiru.
“The NDLEA has the duty to take anyone suspected of drug dealing to court rather than name- calling and engaging in media trial.
“This clarification is necessary to set the record straight and address the misleading information circulated by the NDLEA.”
The statement also highlighted the need for the NDLEA to search its own ranks for corrupt officials who may be compromising the agency’s mission.
“It is an open secret that many criminals, cultists, armed robbers, and drug addicts find their way back into business after gratifying and bribing law enforcement officers.
“The NDLEA ought to search its house and fish out bad eggs rather than seek cheap publicity!
“Senator Ashiru remains committed to serving the people of Kwara South and upholding the truth at all times in the search for strict professionalism among our law enforcement agencies.”
