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Drug traffickers: ‘Number of Nigerians in foreign jails unknown’
By John Ameh, Abuja

The Director-General of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Mr. Lanre Ipinmisho, said on Thursday that the number of Nigerians involved in the trafficking of hard drugs across international borders had taken a frightening dimension.

Lanre Ipinmesho, DG, NDLEA

He called for additional support for the agency by all segments of the Nigerian society to combat the problem, which, he said, was fast destroying the country.

Ipinmisho, who appeared before the House of Representatives’ Committee on the Diaspora, headed by Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa in Abuja, disclosed that as at 2005, about 1,120 Nigerians were languishing in jails outside the country for drug-related offences.

The NDLEA boss admitted that the figures were grossly underestimated as the agency did not have the figures for 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009.

He blamed the lack of reliable statistics on the alleged non-compliance with Section 45 of the NDLEA Act by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Ipinmisho said, “This section mandates all heads of Nigerian diplomatic missions abroad to forward to the NDLEA every six months, statistics of Nigerians in jail abroad for drug offences.

“Lack of cooperation stems from foreign countries particularly the Western world of United Kingdom and the United States of America.”

Reacting to the statistics provided by Ipinmisho, Dabiri-Erewa and other members of the committee expressed shock, saying that the situation demanded urgent intervention from government.

She said, “Obviously, this is not good for us as nation. It is not good for our image. The NDLEA needs massive support, in funding and logistics.”

“At the level of the committee, we shall try and assist by collaborating with the Committee on Foreign Affairs to overcome some of your challenges.”


“These countries refuse to provide relevant information relating to Nigerians involved in drug trafficking in their countries on grounds that double jeopardy exists in the Nigerian law –Decree 33 of 1990.”

Giving a breakdown of current available statistics, he said that over 600 Nigerians were in jail in Thailand as at 2002, out which 521 were transferred home between 2003 and 2008.

There were 229 in Russia (2001); 226 in Pakistan (2006); 28 in Indonesia (2003); another 12 in the same country in (2004); and 25 in Italy (2004).

“As can be seen from above, the statistics available are not up to date and very unreliable as the agency neither has the capacity nor the resources to gather these statistics.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has a very crucial role to perform in this respect”, he added.

But, quoting from the 2008 report of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime for West and Central Africa , Ipinmisho stated that out of 1,357 couriers arrested, “Nigerian citizens were by far more detected nationally, accounting for about 57 per cent of the total arrested.”

He noted, “Between 2005 and 2008, at least 46 tons of Cocaine were seized in West African Sub-Region; this is alarming when compared with the fact that before then, the entire continent hardly seized a ton.

“About 3.4 tons of Cocaine were seized from 1, 357 West African couriers on commercial flights from West Africa to Europe between 2004 and 2008.

“53 per cent of those arrested in South Africa in 2005 were Nigerians while in 2006, 31 per cent of those arrested for drug trafficking in France were Nigerians.”

The DG, who told the committee that the “problem was getting more alarming”, said it had reached a point where out of every 100 suspects arrested, 55 per cent were Nigerians.

“Sadly, 90 per cent of these Nigerians are from the South-East, especially Anambra State .

“We have been engaging the South-East governors, traditional and religious leaders in discussions and they are doing something about it,” he stated. Locally, he revealed that Kano State had the highest number of consumption of all illicit drugs, while the South-West supplied 90 per cent of Cannabis Sativa (Indian hemp) in the country.

Meanwhile, the House in plenary, mandated the joint Committee on the Diaspora, Foreign Affairs and Justice to investigate within three weeks and submit a report on the circumstances leading to the killing of a Nigerian, Shefiu Salaudeen, in Ukraine on January 18, 2009.

http://www.punchng.com/article_comments.aspx?theartic=Art2009012339235

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