According to Giade, the NDLEA had no business taking care of an accused once the person had been arraigned and remanded in prison custody

The Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Alhaji Ahmadu Giade, on Monday revealed that 197 convicted drug traffickers avoided serving their sentences with the connivance of court clerks and prison wardens.

Giade made this revelation during the public destruction of 18,791.5953kg of illicit drugs at Bereko, Badagry in Lagos State.

He said: “The plot was uncovered when a drug convict who ought to be in prison was re-arrested while attempting to smuggle drugs at the Kano airport.

“That was how a cartel of about 197 convicted drug traffickers who were supposed to be serving their sentences was detected by our agency.

“The investigation was conducted by the police.

“It was confirmed that the convicts were left off the hook with the connivance of some court clerks and prison wardens.”

According to Giade, the NDLEA had no business taking care of an accused once the person had been arraigned and remanded in prison custody.

“We discovered that the criminal act took place between the court and the prison after an accused had been sentenced,” Giade alleged.

Giade said this was a wake-up call for stakeholders to remain sensitive and prevent any act capable of undermining the criminal justice system.

He said: “We must continue to discharge our responsibilities without compromise from the time a case is reported to when a convict completes serving the prescribed punishment by the court.”

Speaking about the exhibits set ablaze, Giade said the drugs, weighing 18,791.5953kg, were seized by the NDLEA Lagos State Command, Murtala Mohammed International Airport Command and Seme Border.

The drugs seized included 18,420.71kg of cannabis, 268.9533kg of cocaine, heroin and 101.932kg of methamphetamine/ephedrine.

Giade noted that before the drugs were destroyed, the NDLEA was given an order by the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos to dispose and destroy them.

Giade said illicit proceeds from smugglers were mostly used in funding acts of terrorism and insurgency, adding that drug control must be given priority attention by all countries.

He said: “In cases of compromise, erring staff would be dismissed while those who had compromised had been shown the way out of the agency.

“In fact, such a person would also face court trial.

“This is a war that must be fought and won both internally and externally.

“Officers that contravened the regulations had been appropriately sanctioned.

“There are no exceptions to the rule.

“In serious cases of compromise, erring staff had been dismissed and in addition made to face court trial.”

While urging parents to be vigilant where their kids were concerned in case of drug abuse, Giade further implored them to cultivate the habit of reporting suspected drug dealers to the nearest NDLEA office.