The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, is engulfed in deep crisis following the inability of ace comedian, Alhaji Babatunde Omidina, (Baba Suwe), who was arrested last Wednesday on suspicion of drug trafficking, to excrete drugs after three trials.
Vanguard gathered that top officials of the agency at their Ikoyi, Lagos, headquarters and their counterparts at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, where Baba Suwe was arrested, are at daggers-drawn over his continued detention even when he could not excrete any drugs.
This is coming as reliable sources at the agency hinted that Baba Suwe may not regain his freedom soon, as the agency has vowed to place him under observations until he makes his sixth excretion.
However, it was learnt that some of the officialsof the agency at the airport are trying to justify their claim by pointing to previous cases where suspects started excreting drugs after their fourth excretion without drugs.
This situation, Vanguard learnt, seem to be generating tension even after the Director- General of the agency, Mr. Femi Ajayi, was reportedly quoted on televisiont that the suspect would be freed if reports of the CT scan and his third excretion proved to be negative.
Based on this, it was also learnt that the ace actor might have been moved from the agency’s headquarters in Ikoyi, Lagos, to a safer place at its airport office for closer observation.
There are also indications that following criticisms over the continued detention of the suspect, the agency’s lawyers are dusting up their legal books to justify their action if eventually Baba Suwe failed to excrete drug.
Officials of the agency who spoke with Vanguard under anonymity, hinted that the agency’s decision to keep the ace actor in its custody for more excretions was based on previous experiences.
“We are going to release him when we are satisfied he has no drugs in his stomach and that will be after his sixth excretion. We’ve had a case in the past when a suspect, caught at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, excreted drugs after his fourth excretion.
‘So, we are treating his case with all seriousness and we are convinced members of the public will be convinced when we are through.”
Meanwhile, NDLEA has urged Nigerians to be patient as it conduct investigations into the actor’s case, promising to be thorough its dealings with the case.
According to the agency’s spokesman, Mitchell Ofoyefun: “We are carrying out due investigative process and we expect members of the public to exercise patience pending the outcome of our investigation.
”We have always urged stakeholders to make necessary sacrifices for the collective interest of all citizens and national security of the country.”
Falana blasts NDLEA
Meanwhile, a Lagos lawyer and human rights activist, Mr. Femi Falana, has condemned NDLEA’s continued detention of Baba Suwe, urging it to stop experimenting with human freedom as a result of its defective machines.
Falana, who spoke at the 25th anniversary of the death of founding editor-in chief of Newswatch magazine, Mr. Dele Giwa, said: ”I have never in any part of the world seen where an agency will be experimenting with human beings, saying that they want Baba Suwe to excrete the hard drugs that their machine tested him to have ingested, denying him of his freedom for more than 24 hours just because their machines are defective.”
Baba Suwe sues for N1bn
Mean time, Baba Suwe has dragged NDLEA, before an Ikeja High Court, Lagos, challenging his continued detention by the anti-drug agency.
Vanguard was unable to confirm if the lawyer, Mr. Kunle Adegoke, had the consent of Baba Suwe to institute the suit, in which he is claiming N1billion as damage for his illegal and unconstitutional violation of his fundamental human rights.
Baba Suwe is praying the court to declare his arrest and continued detention since October 13, on suspicion of drug trafficking, a gross violation of his fundamental rights, as guaranteed under Sections 34 and 35 of the 1999 Constitution.
He is seeking:
* A declaration that the continued incarceration of the applicant is contrary to the provisions of Articles 4, 5 and 6 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and hence unlawful, ultra vires, respondent, null and void.
* An order immediately releasing the applicant from unlawful detention in which he is being held at the pleasure of the respondent.
* Compensation in the sum of N100m against the respondents to be paid to the applicant for the aforesaid illegal and unconstitutional violation of his fundamental rights by the respondent.
Culled from: Vanguard Newspaper
Vanguard gathered that top officials of the agency at their Ikoyi, Lagos, headquarters and their counterparts at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, where Baba Suwe was arrested, are at daggers-drawn over his continued detention even when he could not excrete any drugs.
This is coming as reliable sources at the agency hinted that Baba Suwe may not regain his freedom soon, as the agency has vowed to place him under observations until he makes his sixth excretion.
However, it was learnt that some of the officialsof the agency at the airport are trying to justify their claim by pointing to previous cases where suspects started excreting drugs after their fourth excretion without drugs.
This situation, Vanguard learnt, seem to be generating tension even after the Director- General of the agency, Mr. Femi Ajayi, was reportedly quoted on televisiont that the suspect would be freed if reports of the CT scan and his third excretion proved to be negative.
Based on this, it was also learnt that the ace actor might have been moved from the agency’s headquarters in Ikoyi, Lagos, to a safer place at its airport office for closer observation.
There are also indications that following criticisms over the continued detention of the suspect, the agency’s lawyers are dusting up their legal books to justify their action if eventually Baba Suwe failed to excrete drug.
Officials of the agency who spoke with Vanguard under anonymity, hinted that the agency’s decision to keep the ace actor in its custody for more excretions was based on previous experiences.
“We are going to release him when we are satisfied he has no drugs in his stomach and that will be after his sixth excretion. We’ve had a case in the past when a suspect, caught at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, excreted drugs after his fourth excretion.
‘So, we are treating his case with all seriousness and we are convinced members of the public will be convinced when we are through.”
Meanwhile, NDLEA has urged Nigerians to be patient as it conduct investigations into the actor’s case, promising to be thorough its dealings with the case.
According to the agency’s spokesman, Mitchell Ofoyefun: “We are carrying out due investigative process and we expect members of the public to exercise patience pending the outcome of our investigation.
”We have always urged stakeholders to make necessary sacrifices for the collective interest of all citizens and national security of the country.”
Falana blasts NDLEA
Meanwhile, a Lagos lawyer and human rights activist, Mr. Femi Falana, has condemned NDLEA’s continued detention of Baba Suwe, urging it to stop experimenting with human freedom as a result of its defective machines.
Falana, who spoke at the 25th anniversary of the death of founding editor-in chief of Newswatch magazine, Mr. Dele Giwa, said: ”I have never in any part of the world seen where an agency will be experimenting with human beings, saying that they want Baba Suwe to excrete the hard drugs that their machine tested him to have ingested, denying him of his freedom for more than 24 hours just because their machines are defective.”
Baba Suwe sues for N1bn
Mean time, Baba Suwe has dragged NDLEA, before an Ikeja High Court, Lagos, challenging his continued detention by the anti-drug agency.
Vanguard was unable to confirm if the lawyer, Mr. Kunle Adegoke, had the consent of Baba Suwe to institute the suit, in which he is claiming N1billion as damage for his illegal and unconstitutional violation of his fundamental human rights.
Baba Suwe is praying the court to declare his arrest and continued detention since October 13, on suspicion of drug trafficking, a gross violation of his fundamental rights, as guaranteed under Sections 34 and 35 of the 1999 Constitution.
He is seeking:
* A declaration that the continued incarceration of the applicant is contrary to the provisions of Articles 4, 5 and 6 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and hence unlawful, ultra vires, respondent, null and void.
* An order immediately releasing the applicant from unlawful detention in which he is being held at the pleasure of the respondent.
* Compensation in the sum of N100m against the respondents to be paid to the applicant for the aforesaid illegal and unconstitutional violation of his fundamental rights by the respondent.
Culled from: Vanguard Newspaper
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