The senate has summoned the Chairman of the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Buba Marwa, over allegations raised against the Deputy Senate Leader, Senator Oyelola Ashiru, (APC-Kwara South).
The upper house also set up a six-member panel to invite all those involved in the accusation raised by NDLEA against the Senator.
Recall Senator Ashiru had last week accused the NDLEA of failing in its mandate to curb the spread and use of illicit substances.
He had argued that for its failure, there was the need to create another drug-related agency when he was contributing to the debate on a ‘Bill for an Act to establish National Institute for Drug Awareness and Rehabilitation’ during plenary.
He said, “The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency is corrupt and compromised, hence, I support the creation of the National Institute for Drug Awareness and Rehabilitation.”
He blamed the NDLEA for the high rate of drug trafficking in the country insisting another anti-narcotic agency should be set up.
But on Monday, the NDLEA replied to the senator’s contribution on the floor, saying his comment was “borne out of vendetta rather than based on any altruistic motive or national interest.”
Femi Babafemi, spokesman for the NDLEA, who held a press conference to address the issues raised by the senator said, “While we cannot fault the power of the senate on that, yet for a member of the upper chamber to have made such an unfounded and unwarranted categorical statement against the Agency led us to look inward to see what could have been responsible for such a carpeting general statement.
“What we found was shocking, and we concluded that his statement came from a place of vendetta and certainly not out of public interest or any altruistic motive.
“The personal house of the senator in GRA Ilorin, the capital of Kwara State, had been raided in the recent past, where drugs and illicit substances were recovered while two of his aides: Ibrahim Mohammed and Muhammed Yahaya were arrested.
“Based on credible intelligence and surveillance which confirmed that the senator’s house was being used as a drug joint for drug dealers and users, the house was raided by our operatives at 1:30 pm on February 4, 2024, during which the two aides were arrested, while a third suspect escaped arrest.”
Following a point of order by Senator Ashiru on Tuesday during plenary, the red chamber was forced to set up a panel to be chaired by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, (APGA-Abia South).
Other members of the committee are Senator Kaka Shehu, APC, Borno Central; Senator Ede Dafinone, APC, Delta Central; Senator Ireti Kingibe, LP, FCT; Senator Afolabi Shauibu, APC, Ogun Central; and Senator Lawal Usman, PDP, Kaduna Central.
Ashiru, who came under Order 42 of the Senate Standing Order, explained how the reaction to his comment last week during a debate on a bill by the NDLEA had affected his integrity.
He stated that he does not take alcohol nor carbonated drinks except water, and pleaded that the matter must be taken very seriously.
Consequently, after returning from a closed-door session, the Senate voted to invite and set up a panel for investigation of the accusation and counter accusation.
Senate Summons NDLEA Boss Over Allegation Against Kwara Senator, Sets Up Panel is first published on The Whistler Newspaper