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NDLEA, Police disagree over officers’ involvement in Cocaine deal
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Nigeria Police Force are currently locked in dispute, following the arrest on Monday of five police officers allegedly involved in a cross-Atlantic Cocaine deal.
RELIABLESOURCENG.COM reports that the NDLEA had Monday morning declared a Deputy Commissioner of Police, DCP Abba Kyari, wanted, on allegation of involvement in a-25 Kilogramme Cocaine importation, following a sting operation by the agency.
Kyari, suspended former Commander of the Nigeria Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT), is currently under investigation by the police authority on allegation of $1 million cybercrime, involving convicted Internet fraudster, Ramon Abbas aka Hushppupi.
By afternoon of the same day, the police turned in Kyari and four others – ACP Sunday Ubuah, ASP Bawa James, Inspr. Simon Agrigba and John Nuhu. The fifth suspect, ASP John Umoru, was said to be at large.
However, the police said its investigation had established “that the international narcotics cartel involved in this case have strong ties with some officers of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, who are on their pay roll”.
The police quoted two arrested drug couriers as confirming that “the modus is for the transnational drug barons to conspire with the NDLEA officers on duty and send them their pre-boarding photographs for identification, seamless clearance, and unhindered passage out of the airport with the narcotics being trafficked.
READ: NDLEA confirms Kyari, four others in its custody
“The two arrested drug couriers also confirmed that they have been enjoying this relationship with the NDLEA officers at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport since 2021 and had in this instant case of 19th January, 2022, been identified and cleared by the NDLEA officers as customary, having received their pre-departure photographs and other details prior to their arrival in Enugu, and were on their way out with the narcotics when they were apprehended by the Police.”
But the NDLEA said on Wednesday, that it has no reason to shield anyone who may be indicted in the course of the ongoing investigation over a 25kg cocaine deal, involving a gang headed by DCP Abba Kyari.
The agency in a statement by its spokesman, Femi Babafemi, said it remained committed to the evidence-based investigation and its resolve cannot be weakened by any misrepresentation of facts.
He said: “To correct some inaccuracies in the information in the public space that NDLEA officers at the Enugu Airport were the ones who received from the cartel details about the mule coming from Addis Ababa, the agency wishes to quote from the transcript of Abba Kyari’s recorded conversation with our undercover officer and a portion of ASP James Bawa’s statement to the police as documented in the police investigation report, a copy of which was made available to the agency, to state that it’s an established fact that it’s the Abba Kyari’s team that was contacted by the cartel and without doubt, the records clearly show how their ring works.”
He recalled that after NDLEA requested for Kyari and others for interrogation, they were questioned by the police, after which they were handed over along with the report of their interrogation.
Babafemi said that according to the police investigation report, ASP James Bawa in his statement to the police revealed that he was called by an informant, identified as ‘IK’, from Brazil, who told him that a drug courier would be arriving onboard Ethiopian Airlines in Enugu.
READ: JUST IN: Police arrests Abba Kyari, four others
Bawa explained further that a pointer from IK, the Brazil-based informant, met with him at about 1420hrs on 19th January 2022 outside the airport and showed him a picture of the courier. Subsequently, they sighted the suspect as he exited the airport terminal after all arrival clearance formalities, and he was arrested with another associate.
Babafemi said that Abba Kyari, in his own recorded conversation with NDLEA undercover officer, also said the following: “They are greedy, seriously greedy (referring to his informants), we tried to have them accept 40% but they refused, except 50%, they know the rudiment of the deal very well, they are the ones that do the packing. From Brazil, one of the informants accompanied it to Ethiopia. You understand; one of the informants accompanied the goods to Ethiopia, one of the informants that give us information. He is the boy of the big baron.
“From Addis, it will be given to those to proceed further with it, he will get their snapshots without their knowledge. Yes, he will reveal those that are conveying it further, get snapshots of theirs without their knowledge and send them to us (Abba Kyari’s team). So, we already know the goods, pictures and the clothes they are wearing, hope you understand, we know your name, he will give us everything. So, automatically my team will just be waiting, they will just see you and arrest you.”
Responding to the question by NDLEA officers on whether his boys are usually stationed inside or outside the airport, Abba Kyari, Babafemi said, responded, “Yes, yes, some are outside while some are inside. They will just allow you to finish arrival formalities and arrest you the moment you come out.” Babafemi said, “The above no doubt establishes who the cartel was relating with and their modus operandi. Again, this is to correct inaccuracies in some reports and assure that the agency will not deviate from an evidence-based investigation that will spare nobody found complicit.”
