Drug Barons Get Lesser Punishment for Their Crimes
Columbian Escobar Era Returns To Nigeria
Lagos Judges Fingered
For members of the Nigerian Public in the western part of Africa, the war on drug traffickers looks calm, but beneath this unusual calm is an unsavoury Judicial manoeuvre, like a time bomb waiting to explode. The drug war in Nigeria is moving to a dangerous direction of the Drug cartel in Columbia. The tiny South American country in the early seventies, which was ruled by a ruthtless cocaine drug lord, Mr Pablo Escobar, the most fearless cartel leader in the history of Colombia and the United States of America, He ruled Medellin Cartel with an iron fist, through the backing of the then Columbian Inspector General of police, the judges, and presidential candidates of his country. January 12, 1949 marked not only the birth of a child but the birth of a new era. No one could have foreseen the colossal impact that the newborn baby would have on the world. A boy was born who would later grow up to dominate the international drug scene, manipulating the focus of politics on a global scale. This boy was Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria. Born to a hardworking, small farmer and a school teacher, Escobar was humbly raised in the suburbs of the Columbian city of Medellín. His family was devoutly Catholic and religion was an important part of his upbringing. Escobar is remembered as a kind and compassionate child who loved animals. The importance of the family was instilled in him from an early age, a value which stayed with him throughout his entire life. Despite this seemingly normal childhood with religious influences, Escobar grew up to be one of the world’s most notorious criminals. Escobar became so wealthy from the drug trade that in 1989 Forbes magazine listed him as the seventh richest man in the world.[1]He is considered to be the most ambitious and powerful drug lord in history. His brutal ruthlessness was also legendary; he would kill anyone who stood in his way and was responsible for the killing of 30 judges, 457 policemen, and other deaths at a rate of 20 each day for two months. In total it is said he is directly responsible for the deaths of over 4,000 people
The Streetjournal traces Escobar’s rise to power as a young boy from Medellin. By the 1970s, he became the main drug dealer in Columbia and one of the most ruthless cartel leaders, creating his own army, killing Supreme Court justices who were not on his payroll , blowing up commercial plane Avianca, and killing several presidential candidates who were in support of his extradition to the US, something that Escobar feared. He was a law unto himself, holding his country to ransom. Most of Columbia’s corrupt officers were in his pay roll, from the agents of Narcotic, to the Judiciary, the Presidency and the legislative arm of government, no wonder most of his accomplice usually received lighter sentence if they were caught at all. It got to a stage when government forces adopted the same ruthless tactics as their adversary.
The recent Event in the Federal High Court in Lagos has pointed to a dangerous signal on the drug problem that Nigeria has been battling since a decade ago. Initially, the Barons were operating with some unscrupulous members of National Drug law Enforcement Agency {NDLEA} thus making their transits almost undetectable. In an effort to redeem its image, NDLEA weeded out seventy officers perceived to be bad eggs among its command, since then, it is has been one success or another on the part of NDLEA, but this success has been short- lived with the Barons now infiltrating the Lagos judiciary and receiving lighter sentences from the judges who are presumably on their pay roll.
A London big boy, Yusuf Hakeem Ajibola Adetoro arrested on July 8 at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, with 2.2 kilogrammes of cocaine concealed in his inner wear, he was eventually arraigned in court where he pleaded guilty and sentenced to 11 months imprisonment with an option of N350,000 fine. Yusuf, who was made to forfeit 1,444 pounds and $1,000 which were found on him and which the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) tendered as exhibits, paid the fine immediately and walked home a free man.
Ordinarily, the street value of the 2.2kilogram of cocaine is between nine to ten million naira thus raising the question as to how a Federal High Court judge set a fine of N350,000 Naira as a punishment.
A similar offence was committed at the Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano with less quantity of this dangerous substance and the Federal High Court judge there sentenced the accused person to fifteen years imprisonment without an option of fine, thus making the mockery of the Lagos judiciary.
The situation was not different in the case of Ojiah Patrick Emeka, who was arrested with 1.079 kilogrammes of cocaine and sentenced to nine months imprisonment with an option of fine of N300, 000.
Another convict that got an option of fine was Ike Ifeanyi Stanley that was arrested with 1.820 kilogrammes of cocaine who bagged 10 months jail term with an option of a fine of N340, 000.
Uzoaganobi Kingsley Ikechekwu, arrested with 1.337 kilogrammes of cocaine, was sentenced to five years imprisonment. Onuba Chinonye James, arrested with 1.137 kilogrammes, got three years jail term while Nwokedi Tagbo Jerome, arrested with 1.126 kilogrammes of the substance, got two years.
Enaruna Silvia Rosemary, arrested with 788 grammes of cocaine, was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment, while Obiajiaku Harrison Ifeanyi arrested with 2.110 kilogrammes got eleven months jail.
Also, Nwosu Emile Hippolite, who was arrested with 962 grammes of cocaine, was sentenced to nine months imprisonment, Sunday Ossai, who was arrested with 1.415 kilogrammes, was sentenced to six months.
Meanwhile, the Indonesian Supreme Court has confirmed the death sentences passed on 10 Nigerians for drug-related offences. The Streetjournal investigation shows that the condemned Nigerians had been given one month within which to apply for a review of the sentence. “If they fail to do so within the period, the sentence will be carried out,” the source said. We can authoritatively reveal that 20 Nigerians were initially on the death row. Samuel Iwuchukwu and Anthony Nwolisa were executed recently for their alleged involvement in drug-related offences. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chief Ojo Maduekwe, who had expressed grave concern over the unfortunate circumstances leading to the conviction and execution of many Nigerians abroad, said government was deeply pained by the development. Maduekwe, whose last-minute efforts to save the lives of the two Nigerians failed, also said there were over 50 Nigerians on death row in other Asian countries, including Saudi Arabia. The Minister lamented that many Nigerians were being treated with disdain at foreign airports as a result of the activities of “a very negligible number of Nigerians who are seen as criminals”. The germane question to ask is how long this drama will play itself out before the present administration takes decisive action not only to ensure the safety of Nigerians but ensuring that the country’s image is not further soiled
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