LAGOS PORT DRUG SEIZURE

New Dawn For NDLEA?

National Drug Law Enforcment Agency (NDLEA) last weekend seized a
container load of substances suspected to be cocaine, Francis Ugwoke
writes on how the offensive drug arrived Nigeria It was in the 1980s
that the Nigeria first intercepted one of the biggest consignments
of hard drugs made up of cocaine and heroine.

The market value then was said to be several millions of naira.

The offensive cargo was concealed in plastic coolers to ensure
that they were not discovered. No one would have suspected anything,
but for the tip-off which the Customs Service got. There was yet
another seizure at the Murtala Mohammed Airport in '90s in which
the Akubezes were named as the importers. It would be recalled that
in 1985, under the military government of Major General Mohammadu
Buhari, trafficking in hard drugs attracted death penalty on
conviction. The idea was to check the importation of hard drugs
into the country. Among the victims of the controversial law
were late Bernard Ogedengbe and Batholomew Owoh who were executed
at the Bar Beach, Lagos. The execution was aimed
at discouraging hard drug trade in Nigeria. Since then, Nigeria has
joined other nations in the war against hard drugs.

As part of this war, several Nigerians have often been arrested and
jailed for drug offences.

But the illicit trade did not end. Last week's seizure of a container
load of cocaine at Tin Can Island port is seen as one of such
measures to fight hard drug trade in Nigeria. Commandant of the
Agency at Tin can Island Port, Mr. Ralph Igwenagu, described the
seizure as the first of its kind in Africa. The hard drugs which
weighed 14.2 metric tonnes (mt) were neatly packaged in 50 kg bags
of 284 sacks. Igwenago could not give the street value but experts
who were contacted put an estimate of N50 bn. The importers were
smart enough, but they ran out of luck. There were other 640 bags
of white cement in the container, which were apparently meant to
conceal the items. NDLEA sources told THISDAY that the container
N0. MSCU 2640791 which came with the hard drugs has been under
surveillance since November last year. The importers of the hard
drug had, on taking off from port of loading trans-shipped
the cargo from the first vessel, Maracaibo to MSC Floriana
in Cenerie Island, South America. The trans-shipment could have
been for security measures by the importers.

But unknown to them, the container was being trailed by
international security agencies. And this lasted for months. Among
the agencies which monitored the cargo from the port of loading
till its discharge in Nigeria include American Drug Enforcement
Administration, British Customs and South African Police. Igwenagu
disclosed that the operatives of the agencies were all in Nigeria to
ensure that the container was seized. Before arriving Nigeria, the
container was said to have been to several European countries.

At a point, it got to Cameroun when the international security
operatives were said to have had difficuty tracing the consignment.
That was about a month ago. It was at this stage that the
international agencies alerted Nigeria. Sources said that the
agencies told NDLEA operatives that their radar traced the
container to Nigeria. In the past three weeks, operatives of the
NDLEA have been keeping vigil at the port, apparently
monitoring movement of the cargo. On the arrival of the ship
at Apapa port, the operatives had contemplated going on board to
ask for the container but were said to have dropped this idea. The
reason was that in doing so, the importers would not show up. But
having waited for about three weeks, the organisation came to the
decision that the best approacch was to take the offensive cargo to
its Ikoyi office where it is kept at present. Igwenagu explained that
every effort made to arrest the importer has been without success.

According to him, the NDLEA went to the addresses given by the
importer only to discover that they were all fake. He also said that
attempts were made at discovering the names of the company used in
the import deal, adding that this could not be traced in the
Corporate Affairs Commission. The ship which brought the cargo, MSC
Floriana had first arrived Apapa port, but had to sail to Tin Can
Island Port where there was space for her to berth. On why the ship
which, brought the cargo was not arrested, the NDLEA commandant
explained that it was because the ship is a simple common carrier
which owner might not have known the content of the container in
question. One country that has been in the forefront of championing
drug war is the United States. Other countries, inclduing Nigeria,
have joined this war. In the past few years, so many Nigerians have
been arrested for trafficking in hard drugs.

But in recent time, the NDLEA has been under criticism that it has
not been doing enough. Some officials of NDLEA are being accused
of aiding drug trafficking. It is also being alleged that middlemen
are used to negotiate with some NDLEA officials at screenng points at
the airports to allow carriers easy passage.

The carriers are alleged to be paying between N300,000 and N400,000
depending on the size of the drug. There is also another allegation
that suspects easily get bail once they can settle some of the
officials of the agency. the amount to be paid is usually
negotiated. In a recentTell magazine report, the former chairman of
NDLEA, Alhaji Bello Lafiagi, was alleged to have put pressure on
the Task Force which arrested a drug baron in 2005 to release
him. The Head of Task Force, Mr Bashir Gazama, was reported to have
refused the request and instead transferred the case file to
the United States Drug Law Enforcement Agency. But Gazama's Task
Force was later accused by the drug baron, one Ikenna Onoche of
not declaring everything that was seized from his house in court.

Among the monies recovered from the drug baron include 168,000
Euros, 10,000 pounds, 5,000 dollars, N4million and a bank draft of
N250million, as well as exotic cars. It was also alleged that while
5.00kg of cocaine was found in Onoche's house, the Task force
declared only 3.2kg. The Task force is reported to have denied the
allegations. Perhaps, it was for these reasons that the Federal
Government approved the re-organisation of the agency recently.
Government had replaced Lafiaji with Alhaji Ahmed Giade, who
assumed office in December last year. But with the appointment, the
petitions have continued.

The new chairman, along with some officials of the agency, were
accused of collecting bribe from a suspect whose case is said to be
linked to that of Onoche. This the NDLEA has also denied. However,
the NDLEA has this year arrested a total of 70 suspects at Murtala
Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos; Nnamdi Azikiwe International
Airtport, Abuja; Mallam Aminu Kano Airport, Kano and Port Harcourt
Airport for various drug offences.

The organsiation intercepted 80,317 kg of cocaine and 5,233kg of
heroine from the suspects during the arrest made between January and
May this year. The recent sack of 150 workers of the Directorate of
Aviation Security was linked to the allegation that they were
involved in aiding drug trafficking at the nation's airports.
Following the seizure announced by the NDLEA last week, THISDAY spoke
to the Tin Can Island Commander on what the situation has been at the
seaport. Accoridng to him, the seaport is a unique place in drug
trafficking. He explained that maritime trafficking is different from
other places, because the organisation depends on information to
make any impact, apparently considering the peculiar nature of a
port. "We depend on individuals, our own operatives, other agencies,
international agencies that collaborate with us", he said. He added
that seizures at the seaport is not recorded on daily basis because
anybody that wants to traffic durgs in the seaport would usually do
it in a large scale. "It is limited to a select few,.... and at
anytime it is usually substantial, more than what you make in other
places", he told THISDAY. He disclosed that apart from last week's
seizure, the NDLEA seized 60kg of cocain in 2001, one ton of cannabis
being exported to France, 10kg of another cannabis in 2004 from a
suspect who wanted to travel to Liverpool by ship. He disclosed that
four arrests were made, three Nigerians and a foreigner. On the
involvement of port officials in aiding drug trafficking, Igwenagu
denied this, saying, "in the port, there is nothing like port
officials aiding suspects, because one individual cannot do it." On
how prepared the agency is in fighting the drug war at the port, the
commandant said, "the whole NDLEA is under new leadership faced with
the preparedness for drug war. We are much more determined to catch
barons and this is evident in the arrests and seizures, so it is high
time they packed their bags and baggage." Although there is still
doubt about what wonders the new NDLEA helmsman, Giade, can do in the
current drug war, observers hold the view that with the determination
of the government, the NDLEA chairman will
definitely change tactics in the fight ahead of his agency.
According to Barrister Leo Onilemo, the new management of the NDLEA
ought to understand that government is serious on the narcotic
war. Onilemo described the seizure at the Tin Can Island Port as
encouraging, and enjoined the Agency to continue the fight. "Drug
barons will now know that the game has changed, and they are not
liklely to encourage shipment into Nigeria in the very near future",
he told THISDAY in an interview.

He advised that NDLEA can redeem its image by being more assertive
on the drug war, and bringing to book all those behind the illicit trade.