The Deputy Leader of the Senate, Senator Oyelola Ashiru, on Monday, challenged the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency to prosecute anyone arrested by its operatives in connection with illicit drugs.

Ashiru had on Wednesday last week in the Senate during consideration of a bill seeking for the establishment of the National Institute for Drug Awareness and Rehabilitation, commented that the proposal was a welcome development as according to him, “NDLEA is corrupt and already compromised”.

However, the NDLEA, reacting to Ashiru’s comment through a press briefing addressed by its Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi in Abuja on Monday, alleged that the Senator’s comments were vindictive.

Babafemi at the briefing alleged that Senator Ashiru made disparaging comments on NDLEA last week because of his failure to stop the arrest and trial of some people found to be involved in drug abuse in his house.

However, in a swift reaction to NDLEA’s allegations, Senator Ashiru’s Special Assistant, Olaitan Adeyanju, in a statement asked the anti-graft agency should go ahead and charge anyone accused of engaging in illicit drugs to court.

Part of the statement read, “The NDLEA claims to have discovered drugs in Senator Ashiru’s Ilorin house, but there’s no information on which court of law the culprits were charged to.

“In fact, Senator Ashiru has been vocal about the NDLEA’s corruption and compromise, which might be the reason behind these allegations.”

The senator’s Assistant also clarified that Ashiru didn’t send any aide to influence the dropping of drug allegations against Tosin Odepidian, and the names mentioned by the agency are unfamiliar.

“However, the Senator has challenged the agency to prosecute anyone that is found of illicit drugs,” the statement added.

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