Atiku asks NDLEA to prosecute Tinubu for drug trafficking

Atiku asks NDLEA to prosecute Tinubu, says criminal cases not statute barred

By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor

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“Nigerian law is clear. Criminal cases have no statute of limitation and can be re-opened at any time, especially for the sake of national interest.

“We hereby call on the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency to immediately arrest Bola Ahmed Tinubu and prosecute him for drug trafficking.

“Apart from the criminal angle to this call, there is also the national security aspect.”

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Atiku Abubakar has asked the drug busters to prosecute Bola Tinubu for drug trafficking and the graft busters to also arraign him for money laundering, both offences he allegedly committed in the United States decades ago.

Criminal cases have no statute of limitation, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate said through his surrogates, in a tit for tat against Tinubu who fired the salvo that opened the can of worms.

Team Tinubu rubbished Atiku last week with allegation of corruption and of possessing Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) with which he illegally conveyed hard cash across the country.

It urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), and Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) to arrest and prosecute him.

The PDP Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) reacted on Monday by asking the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and EFCC to arrest and prosecute the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate.

This was contained in an address read out by members of the PDP PCC Strategic Communications and Media Teams in Abuja, per reporting by Vanguard.

Those who gave the address included PCC Strategic Communications Director Dele Momodu; PCC spokesman Daniel Bwala; Atiku’s Media Adviser Paul Ibe; and  Communications Assistant Phrank Shaibu.

Shaibu read from a prepared text in which he said Nigeria is in a precarious situation which will slip into doom if the wrong person is elected the next President.

State-sponsored drug trafficking disastrous for Nigeria

“Nigeria is battling many problems; we have banditry and terrorism ravaging many towns in the North, militants attacking oil facilities and bringing the country’s economy to its knees in the Niger Delta while secessionists are holding the SouthEast to ransom,” Shaibu argued.

“It will be a huge disaster to add state-sponsored drug trafficking to the mix.”

Shaibu said Tinubu’s officially documented forfeiture of $460,000 proceeds of crime and the sale and distribution of heroin to authorities in the United States is worthy of the further probe.

“Nigerian law is clear. Criminal cases have no statute of limitation and can be re-opened at any time, especially for the sake of national interest.

“We hereby call on the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency to immediately arrest Bola Ahmed Tinubu and prosecute him for drug trafficking.

“Apart from the criminal angle to this call, there is also the national security aspect.

“The world will recall what happened to Panama when Manuel Noriega, a known drug lord, became President in 1983. During his six-year rule, Panama became a narcos state as Noriega became an ally of the notorious Pablo Escobar’s Medellin cartel.”

Shaibu insisted Tinubu’s indictment in the US should be of concern to all Nigerians because of the dangers his alleged links to drug lords portends for the country in the unlikely event he becomes President.

“In the unfortunate event of a Bola Tinubu Presidency, Nigerians will be plunged into a drug crisis that would make the Colombia situation a child’s play.

“With easy access to drugs, there will be an increase in violence. Nigerians cannot risk this. In fact, on March 20, 2021 the Chairman of the NDLEA … Buba Marwa said the South West had the highest drug abuse cases in the country at 22.4 per cent.”

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Protecting Nigeria’s sovereignty

Bwala, a lawyer, said the request for Tinubu’s arrest and prosecution is born out of patriotic zeal to protect Nigeria’s sovereignty, per Vanguard.

“In the last few weeks the nation is greeted by so many reports on social and mainstream media which raise concern on the character and fitness of the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC,” he stressed.

“Tinubu was convicted for drug-related offences, specifically money laundering for a drug cartel by a court in Chicago, Illinois, USA.

“You would recall that the court in Chicago had convicted Tinubu of a drug and narcotics-related case to which he forfeited the sum of $460,000.

“Our country is afflicted by opioids, and other drug-related cases, which have constituted a threat to our national security.

“Example is the recent interception of large volumes of cocaine by the NDLEA to which the nation is still awaiting a statement about not only the immediate individuals who were arrested but the links and association of these individuals to any person, no matter how highly placed he or she is in the society.

“Recently even a spy cop [Abba Kyari] was arrested and is being prosecuted for an allegation of drugs and narcotics. We call on the NDLEA to address the nation on the busted drugs and possible linkage.”

Bwala said the EFCC is yet to tell Nigerians the outcome of its investigation of a petition written by a former Managing Director of Alpha Beta, a private tax collecting agency in Lagos.

“A few years ago, the former Managing Director of Alpha Beta lodged a petition at the EFCC against the former governor of Lagos State and now a presidential candidate of the APC, Ahmed Bola Tinubu.

“The petition involves massive corruption and misappropriation of funds belonging to the government of Lagos State, abuse of office, and conflict of interests.

“The said petition raised issues bordering on a wide range of corruption allegations and we call on the EFCC to address the nation on their findings of the investigation which we believe is long overdue.”

Bwala also asked the authorities to probe Tinubu and his allies for allegedly setting up and funding a militia called “Jagaban Soldiers” and “Battalions” to execute his political agenda.

He cited Tinubu’s statement in London broadcast on social media telling his foot soldiers that political power is to be snatched by all means.

Keyamo is a threat to peaceful election, says Bwala

Bwala urged President Muhammadu Buhari to prevent Labour and Employment Minister of State Festus Keyamo from constituting a threat to a peaceful election next month.

He accused Keyamo of using his cabinet position to intimidate and threaten government officials and political opponents in order to have his way.

“[This] is even coming amidst the widespread allegation of corruption involving the Minister and the N52 billion approved for his ministry for the empowerment of 774 LGA Nigerians.

“The National Assembly had called for an investigation of how the project was executed and until now the issue has not been told to the Nigerian people.

“This singular conduct has brought the government of Buhari to disrepute and threatened the legacy he said he will leave behind.

“It is believed now that Buhari, who recently was reported as saying cabinet members should focus on governance and not be involved in the campaign, has since made a U-turn and tasked his cabinet members to influence the agencies of government in favour of APC.

“Members of the opposition are reported to be increasingly invited by law enforcement agencies for one question or the other in order to weaken them.”

Urges Buhari to sack Keyamo

“We call on the President to sack the Minister of State for Labour and Employment forthwith for using an official position funded by tax-payers money to interfere with the conduct of free, fair and credible elections.

“We also call on the President to read the riot act to agents of the government from interfering with this election.

“Any effort to intimidate the opposition is an effort to interfere with the conduct of peaceful elections.”

Keyamo describes PDP spokesmen as copycats

Keyamo laughed off the demand of the PDP spokesmen for the NDLEA and EFCC to arrest and prosecute Tinubu for alleged drug trafficking.

He dismissed them as copycats, saying Nigerians are more concerned now about alleged #AtikuGate and Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV).

“I’m laughing; these pdp fellows are pathetic. I was told they copied our style and all their spin doctors held a joint conference.

“Copycats! Nothing new. All old, unproven stories against @officialABAT. What is gripping the nation now is Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), #AtikuGate,” Keyamo tweeted.