THE ELDERLY DRUG PEDDLER

Ordinarily, he should be living in retirement. At 70, Inuwa Isah
should be one of the sages in his village offering advice on every
single subject from family matters to matters of public interest.
Instead, he allegedly chose to become a local drug baron.

Afew weeks ago, 70-year-old Inuwa Isah was paraded along with several
young men by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) over
alleged drugs offences. Instead of being a senior citizen, living in
blissful retirement, Isah was a senior suspect paraded alongside his
18-year-old son who ought to be in school or be engaged in some other
gainful venture.

Isah was arrested in Dutse late 2007, after a long hide and seek game
with the officials of the NDLEA. According to Mohammed Musbahu Idris,
the state Commandant of the NDLEA, Isah, along with his son, is one of
the alleged major dealers of marijuana (Indian hemp) in the state
capital. He said the agency had been monitoring the activities of the
duo for some time to confirm its suspicions before moving in.

The commandant said the old man had been at the trade for a very long
time that it was practically impossible to redeem him in any way. He
however expressed optimism that his son who was simply identified as
Babangida (to protect his identity) was not beyond redemption. He said
his agency had already started exploring ways of rehabilitating the
young man according to the laws of the land so that he would not go
the way of his father.

Looking old and frail, Isah cut a pathetic picture as he listened
quietly to the NDLEA commandant. So, how did the grandfather who
should be at home resting and enjoying the fruits of his labours get
involved in crime? He told THISDAY that he got involved in the illicit
trade as a young man. According to Isah, he joined the Nigeria Police
some decades ago where he started by smoking the banned drug, moved on
to selling the 'product' as he got excess supply.

As a constable in the Nigeria Police, the position seemed to have
provided illegal cover for his deadly habit and business. Isah was
able to smoke and sell cannabis almost completely with 'diplomatic
immunity' while he was in the police. After all, he was an ambassador
of crime in the Police Force! But the long arms of the law finally cut
up with him in the late 1980s.

Looking sober, the ex-policeman told his story in an almost inaudible
monotonous voice. "I am a former Police corporal. I joined the Nigeria
police when I was younger and I was in the force for some years. I was
dismissed in 1992 over the sale and consumption of hard drugs", he
whispered.

He said he had five children including Babangida and the illicit
business is the only source of income he had. He said he did not force
or introduce his son or any of his other children to the business.
"The boy got interested and got into the business of his own free
will," he said.

Asked what he thought the government should do to him now that he is
in NDLEA net, the old man could only plead for leniency. He however
advised youths to stay off drugs and bad company to avoid living the
kind of life people like him lived. Without saying it, he seems
resigned to the fact that at 70, there are no new trades or tricks to
learn. Facing the law may just be the last major job for him.

Isah's case is pathetic for two reasons. In the first place, it is a
classic case of wrong choices. As a young man, he had a good job as a
police constable but failed to make the right choices. This led him to
crime and eventually, loss of his source of income. Secondly, it
suggests that the system needs an overhaul if criminals must get a
chance of rehabilitation at a point in their lives. Isah had brushes
with the law along the line, but he did not seem to have got any
rehabilitation. Now, he is a suspect again at such an advanced age.

This particular aspect of Isah's story may have touched the heart of
the state commandant who said the agency found out that "some people
who were previously arrested and prosecuted still engage in the
immoral business." He explained that the discovery informed the
agency's resolve to parade suspects so as to expose them as a way of
forcing them off the streets.

"That is why we decided to expose them to the public. We want people
to know the dangers such criminals pose to the society so that people
can distance themselves from them. This would also discourage the
criminally inclined because as Nigerians, even criminals avoid
negative publicity," he explained.

He further disclosed that the agency is worried that more and more
young men are getting involved in drugs either as users or as
merchants. This explains why, for example, the agency has decided to
protect the identity of Isah's 18-year-old son and attempt to
rehabilitate him. He explained that the agency is focusing on
rehabilitating the youths who are involved so that they would not end
up becoming irredeemable criminals in future.

"It is unfortunate that underaged persons are getting more and more
involved in the illicit business. What we are doing is to counsel
them. Some have gone back to school, while others are being trained at
vocational centres so that they can become self reliant," the
commandant said.

As Isah and seven other young men were paraded as suspected drug users
or dealers, NDLEA paraded three generations of drug suspects and these
sure calls for deep reflections. Reflections over the good old values
Nigerians hold dear: values such as upbringing and the wisdom of age.

It was a reflection of how bad things have gone. Obviously, if Isah
represents a past generation, then one can say that generation is
wasted. And if the youngsters paraded with him are a commentary on the
present generation, then it is a sad commentary. According to the
state commandant, last year alone, 36 other suspects were nabbed by
the command. He said some of the suspects had been charged to court
while the agency was in the process of charging others to court.

He disclosed that some of the arrests made last year were in stop and
search operations. He then advised members of the public to remain
vigilant and report suspected drug pushers and abusers to the agency,
assuring them of confidentiality and protection at all times. In
addition however, the commandant also advised parents to always take
an interest in what there children do so that they can steer them away
from drugs and provide them with required guidance.

This last piece of advice is what Isah's parents probably needed about
fifty years ago. Isah himself needed it about fifty years ago when he
started making a family. But he either did not get it or he failed to
heed it. Today, he stands accused of trafficking in drugs and failing
as a parent. He is a senior suspect and he may soon stand trial for
the way he lived his life in the last 70 years.