DRUG TRAFFICKING AND NIGERIA'S IMAGE

Nigeria has a lot of problems. And one of these problems is drug
trafficking. No year passes without cases of drug trafficking being
reported in the country. Meanwhile, the National Drug Law
Enforcement Agency in Rivers State has arrested sixty two
suspected drug traffickers and seized 291.18 kilogrammes of
hard drugs. According to the Assistant State Commander of the
Agency, Mr. Adamu Agege, the arrests and seizures were made between
January and June 2007. He said that of the sixty two suspects, fifty
three were males while nine were females.

Mr. Agege further announced that twenty seven suspects were
convicted at the Federal High Court while thirty one others are
awaiting trial. In the meantime, it has been revealed that more than
two hundred million people used one form of hard drug or the other
daily. It should also be noted that the use of such drugs has led to
violent crimes such as armed robbery, murder, rape, hostage-taking,
cultism and threat to national security. Ninety per cent of crime in
this country are committed under the influence of hard drugs.

However, there had been earlier cases of drug trafficking in
Nigeria. Not long ago, a popular Nigerian actress, Hassanat Taiwo
Akinwande, also known as Wunmi was sentenced to three years
imprisonment by a federal high court sitting in Lagos for
drug trafficking. According to report, the actress excreted 92
wraps of cocaine when caught by officers of the National Drug Law
Enforcement Agency at the Mururtala Mohammed International Airport in
September 2006. It will be remembered that a Nigerian teenager,
Iwuchukwu Amara Tochi was executed by the Singaporean
authorities for drug trafficking. His execution was carried out
on JanuaryA A 26, 2007.

The boy was arrested at the Singaporean Changi Airport in November,
2004, for carrying about 727 grammes of heroin valued at 970,000
dollars after arriving from Dubai. He was convicted in December,
2005. His execution was carried out in spite of a letter of appeal
by the Nigerian government for forgiveness.

It will further be remembered that twenty Nigerians were killed in
Indonesia for trafficking in drugs. According to reports, some of
the Nigerians were arrested at the country's airport where security
screening revealed that they had swallowed grammes of cocaine.
Others were arrested during police raids of hideout of drug dealers
in Indonesia. In his comments, the Nigerian Ambassador to Indonesia,
Alhaji Sai'du Mohammed lamented that the activities of drug
trafficking Nigerians were the biggest problems the Nigerian Embassy
had to contend within that country.

Meanwhile, 36,000 kilogrammes of marijuana was destroyed in Edo
state early in 2007, while 127 suspects were arrested in connection
with the offence. Only recently 275 drug barons were arrested in
Calabar, Cross River State by the State Command of the National Drug
Law Enforcement Agency. Revealing this fact at a workshop in
Calabar, the State Commander, Mr. Tony Ray Ene, said that a total of
668.077 narcotic substances were impounded during the arrest. He
pointed out that cannabis related arrests and seizures topped the list.

In any case, drugs usually trafficked include madras, marijuana,
Indian hemp and cannabis. Most of these drugs cause a lot of harm to
the human body. Many mental cases are also traced to indiscriminate
use of these drugs. Drug traffickers and peddlers should consider
the consequences of their activities and desist from that dangerous
and illegal trade. We should realise that no community or individual
is free where drug business thrives.

In fact, some Nigerians ought to be ashamed of themselves for
bringing disgrace to their fatherland. It is quite embarrassing to
think of citizens of this country travelling to other lands to
engage in drug trafficking and other criminal activities
thereby lowering the reputation of Nigeria. This should
be condemned in its entirety. At this stage, we appeal to Nigerians
to stop the illegal trade in drugs.

Dr Tolofari is a director in the Ministry of Information, Port Harcourt.