National Drug Law Enforcement Agency NDLEA Rivers State Command has debunked allegation that its personnel demanded 600,00 naira for the release of an arrested suspect.
Deputy State Commander,Media and Advocacy of NDLEA in Rivers,DCN Emmanuel Ikechukwu in a statement on Tuesday 22,August 2023 stated that on Thursday 17th August 2023, operatives of NDLEA Rivers State Command arrested one Success Nsikan, female, 15 years old, at Chinda area of Ada George, Port Harcourt, where she was selling Cannabis Sativa.
DCN Ikechukwu said the suspect also sold cannabis sativa worth of 500 naira to operatives of the command before her arrest, and she led the operatives to her father who is her supplier but unfortunately her father was not at home.
The Deputy State Commander Media and Advocacy of NDLEA explained that when a search was conducted in the suspect father’s room, more Cannabis sativa was recovered, totalling 1kg.
DCN Ikechukwu disclosed that the suspect was taken into NDLEA facility where she is undergoing counselling and also helping the agency in investigation.
He revealed that the suspect will be released to a reliable and responsible adult after the counselling process as her father is still at large.
“Let me emphasize that the allegation by one Caurage Nsirimovu on his facebook page and radio station, that the NDLEA is demanding for six hundred thousand naira (N600,000) to grant bail to a 10 years old suspect is false and misleading, with ulterior motive to bring the good works of NDLEA to disrepute. The allegation is frivolous and should therefore be disregarded. The Suspect, Success Nsikan is 15 years old and not 10 years, and no body demanded for money to grant her bail.
“The State Commander, Ahmed Mamuda is using this medium to urge the good people of Rivers State to beware of those who engage in using under aged persons to peddle drugs and bring the information to NDLEA as we will continue to use all available legal means to bring them to justice” he said.