Laleye Dipo in Minna
A dismissed Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Eniola Emmanuel, and his accomplice, George Monday Chika, are among the 61 suspects convicted and sentenced to various prison terms for drug trafficking in Niger State.
Emmanuel and Chika are to spend 24 months each in the Minna Correctional Centre for being in possession of 168kG of cannabis sativa.
The conviction of the dismissed DPO is the high point of the convictions recorded by the Niger State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) between January and July this year.
The duo and others were sentenced to the prison terms by a Federal High Court Judge, Justice Aminu Garba, in Minna.
The dismissed DPO, it was learnt was sacked from the Ondo State Command of
The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) for gross misdemeanor, and was arrested for drug trafficking by operatives of the Niger State Command of the agency early this year.
Justice Garba also convicted the duo of Sani Sule and Yussuf Shehu for trafficking in hard drugs weighing 226kg, while Eze John was sentenced to 30 months prison term for similar offence.
Eze John, in addition to his conviction, has forfeited his vehicle, a Volkswagen Sharon, with registration number ABJ897AL to the federal government.
The state Commander of the NDLEA, Mr. Haruna Kwetishe, said other convicts are to spend between six and 30 months each in Correctional Centres for being in possession of substances suspected to be hard drugs.
All the accused persons pleaded guilty to the charges filed against them, Kwetishe said, adding that between January and July this year, 78 arrests were made by the Command.
Kwetishe said the operatives of the Command have begun raiding black spots in Minna with a view to arresting miscreants that have been making life unbearable for the people.
He expressed gratitude to the National Chairman of the NDLEA, Brigadier General Buba Marwa (rtd), for the support given to the state Command which has made the job easier for them.
