NDLEA Allegation: Senate President Defends Senator Ashiru, Summons Agency

The Senate has summoned the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) which accused Deputy Leader, Senator Oyelola Ashiru of stocking and distributing hard drugs, to appear before the panel and prove its case.

It also set up a six-member panel to investigate the allegation by the NDLEA.

The Senate took the decision on Tuesday after Senator Ashiru reported the accusations of the NDLEA to the Red Chamber, complaining that his privilege was breached by the anti-drug agency.

“The Senate immediately sets up an ad hoc committee to invite the NDLEA to come and justify the allegation against Sen. Ashiru,” the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, announced, after Ashiru lodged his complaint.

Earlier, Ashiru, while seeking the protection of the Senate, complained that he incurred the wrath of the NDLEA for contributing to a debate on the floor on October 15, where he called on the agency to review its operations and tackle internal corruption at the agency.

The debate was on a ‘Bill for an Act to Establish the National Institute for Drug Awareness and Rehabilitation’, seen by some senators as an attempt to duplicate the duties of the NDLEA.

Ashiru, who supported the bill, had stated, “The failure of NDLEA has resulted in the high rate of drug trafficking going on in the country. The NDLEA is corrupt and compromised hence, I support the creation of a National Institute for Drug Awareness and Rehabilitation.”

However, on Monday, the NDLEA disagreed with the views expressed by Ashiru and berated him for making such a comment against it.

The Chairman of the agency, Brig. Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (retd.), while speaking through the spokesman of the NDLEA, Mr Femi Babafemi, accused the senator of running a drug business and had had a couple of encounters with its operatives

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