The Kwara South Senator, Oyelola Ashiru, has confirmed that the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) conducted a raid at his residence in Ilorin, the state capital.
However, he asserted that the agency did not uncover any hard drugs or other illegal substances during the operation.
The NDLEA’s allegations emerged shortly after Senator Ashiru’s recent declaration in the Senate, where he criticised the agency for alleged corruption.
Following this declaration, the NDLEA reportedly conducted a raid on his home.
In response to the accusations, Senator Ashiru’s office issued a statement and labelled the allegations as “wrong and fallacious.”
The statement, signed by his legislative aide, Olaitan Adeyanju, emphasised the absurdity of the timing, suggesting that the NDLEA’s actions were a misguided attempt to retaliate against the senator’s remarks.
The statement clarified that Senator Ashiru had never employed any aides named Ibrahim Mohammed or Mohammed Yahaya, names mentioned by the NDLEA in their allegations.
The statement read, “The agency claimed that it operatives visited the senator’s Ilorin house and found nothing incriminating. The entire house was searched, and nothing incriminating was found. If any drugs were found on certain persons mentioned by the NDLEA, it is rational to ask at which court of law were the culprits charged?
“It is also important to state that Senator Ashiru has not sent any aide to the NDLEA to influence the dropping of drug allegations against anyone known as Tosin Odepidian. Indeed, all the names mentioned by the agency are strange, and none works directly or indirectly with Senator Ashiru.
It said, “The NDLEA has the duty to take anyone suspected of drug dealing to court rather than name-calling and engaging in media trial.
“This clarification aims to set the record straight and address the misleading information circulated by the NDLEA.
“It is an open secret that many criminals, cultists, armed robbers and drug addicts find their way back into business after gratifying law enforcement officers. The NDLEA ought to search its house and fish out bad eggs rather than seeking cheap publicity!
“Senator Ashiru remains committed to serving the people of Kwara South and upholding the truth at all times in the search for strict professionalism among our law enforcement agencies,” Adeyanju added.
