Nigerian lawmaker accused of harbouring hard drugs dealers briefs Senate on ordeal with NDLEA

Kwara South Senator, Oyelola Ashiru, has said he does not consume hard drugs and cannot differentiate cannabis from other illicit hard substances.

Mr Ashiru said this during plenary on Tuesday while addressing his colleagues on the allegation of harbouring drug dealers and promoting use of hard drugs leveled against him by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

On Monday, the anti-drug agency claimed it found hard drugs and other illicit substances when it raided the Ilorin home of Mr Ashiru in February, 2023.

The agency was responding to Mr Ashiru’s claim that it was ineffective and had become compromised in its duty. The senator made the claim last week during the debate on the bill to establish the National Institute for Drug Awareness and Rehabilitation.

Olaitan Adeyanju, a legislative aide to the senator in a statement on Monday, confirmed that the anti-drug agency raided the Ilorin residence of his principal but insisted that the agency did not find any hard drugs or other illicit substances in the process.

But while addressing the Senate, Mr Ashiru, who is the deputy senate leader, explained that he was not guilty of the allegations against him.

“I want to assert that in my life, I am 68 years now, I assert that I cannot even identify what is called cannabis or any drug. Beyond taking water, I don’t take alcohol, I don’t take any drugs. I don’t even take carbonated drinks.

“Beyond taking water and alcohol, I don’t get myself involved in this thing. Your Excellency, my reaction to my finding is simple. The basis of this debate and publication is based on my contribution on the floor of the Senate on the issue raised on October 15, 2014, to which I offer my views on the subject as best known to me,” he said.

The lawmaker said rather than address the issues in his submission, the anti-drug agency resorted to blackmail him.

“Rather than being able to address the issues raised by the Senate, the NDLEA resorted to some taboos and gaslighting,” he said.

Attempt to curb the Senate from freedom of debate

Mr Ashiru said the NDLEA blackmail is an attempt to stop the Senate’s right to free debate on issues of national importance.

“This is an attempt to curb the Senate of its right to free debate on issues of national interest and their opinions on the floor of the Senate. The ambiguous result of the Senate is that the menace of drugs should be confronted no matter the personality involved.

“The NDLEA has made unfounded allegations against me. These allegations are malicious, an attempt to undermine my credibility as a senator and impede my ability to participate in parliamentary debates,” he added.

Mr Ashiru, thereafter, demanded justice over the allegations against him.

“Your Excellency, I am of the opinion that, for the protection of myself as a member of this Assembly, for the protection of the Senate, we must do something about this,” he said.

There are drug barons in Kwara South

Mr Ashiru also confirmed that there are drug dealers operating within his constituency, Kwara South.

“Today, one of my constituents was asserting that in the last two years, we can count up to 50 people who have lost their sanity based on consumption of drugs. Or, equally too, there are visible examples of barons, who are making money through distribution of drugs in my constituency and other constituencies too.

“Equally, we observed that there is an increase in drug-related crime. And because of this and many other reasons, I strongly contributed on the floor of the Senate, that the Senate should look into the operation of the NDLEA and advised that the issue of corruption among the operators should be looked into.”

Senators have immunity

Responding to the explanation, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, said whatever submission or comment a senator made during the plenary should not turn to a public debate.

Mr Akpabio said that senators have immunity.

“I personally feel that whatever the NDLEA is doing must have been based on your submission here, which pointed out the issue of integrity of the officials.

“I think Nigerians are not aware of the constitution and the laws of the land. Anything you say here is privileged. It is covered with immunity. It is not subject to debate on the radio or television,” he said.

The senate president described Mr Ashiru as a gentleman in the Senate and blamed the NDLEA for keeping silent on the issue until the senator’s comment.

“I don’t want to jump into conclusions, but you have never been invited by the NDLEA. You have never been charged by the NDLEA. The NDLEA never said anything about you as a person. And we in this Senate, we see you as a gentleman on the floor. You are not even somebody that takes alcohol,” Mr Akpabio added.