Obasanjo Decriminalised Drugs in West Africa

Low-level drug offences should be decriminalised in West Africa, according to a high-level report.

The West Africa Commission on Drugs says drug cartels are undermining the region by using it to transit cocaine.

The commission, headed by former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, says the cartels should be tackled but that punishing the personal use of drugs does not work.

It argues that current policies incite corruption and provoke violence.

Drug trafficking and consumption have become major issues in West Africa since the turn of the century.

Efforts around this time to stem the flow of cocaine from the producing countries of Latin America to consumers in the US and Europe led criminals to target West Africa as a new route. 

Dramatic events like the crash landing of a Boeing 727 full of cocaine in Mali in 2009 have alerted the authorities to the problem.

The new report, commissioned by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, estimates that the annual trade in cocaine alone through West Africa is now worth $1.25bn (£744m) - more than the total of foreign direct investment in the region.

NDLEA Seizes N228m Heroin From Pakistani Student

A Pakistani student, Iftikiha Arslan, has been arrested at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for trafficking 25.4kg of heroin.

A statement by the NDLEA head of public affairs, Mr Mitchell Ofoyeju, said the drug was discovered in the suspect’s luggage during inward screening of passengers onboard a Qatar airline flight. The estimated street value of the seized drug is said to be N228million, the largest single seizure of heroin at the Lagos airport since January 2014.

The statement reads, “Preliminary investigation has shown that Arslan left Lahore, Pakistan with the drugs to Abu Dhabi, then to Doha from where he connected Lagos. He is believed to be working for a Pakistani drug cartel.”
NDLEA commander at the airport, Mr Hamza Umar, confirmed the arrest.

He said, “Arslan, a 19-year-old Pakistani, was found in possession of 25 parcels of a brownish substance that tested positive for heroin, weighing 25.400kg at the arrival hall. The drug was hidden in a smaller bag inside his luggage. He is presently cooperating with the agency’s team of investigators.”

Arslan, a student of Punjab College Pakistan, reportedly owned up to the crime.
He said, “I came into Nigeria as a tourist because my friend told me that Victoria Island and Ikoyi are beautiful tourist centres. . This is my first time of coming to Nigeria and I had intended to spend a week or two. Unfortunately, when I arrived at the Lagos airport, the heroin was found in my luggage.”

Chairman of NDLEA, Mr. Ahmadu Giade said, “This arrest and seizure will further send a warning to drug trafficking cartels that Nigeria is winning the fight against narcotics.
“While investigation is ongoing, more proactive measures shall be taken to prevent the use of Nigeria as a transit point for illicit drugs. All suspects linked to the crime will be charged to court as soon as investigation is concluded.

“We are prepared to halt the criminal activities of drug barons through coordinated drug detection strategies. We are also working very hard to identify other members of the criminal group.”
by Nkem Osuagwu