NIGERIA-DRUGS: NATION TRIES TO CLEAR ITS NAME

By Toye Olori Reprint | | Print |

TOYE OLORI

LAGOS, Jun 28 1995 (IPS) - NIGERIA MAY RECEIVE A PAT ON THE BACK FOR ITS EFFORTS TO CHECK DRUG TRAFFICKING BY ITS CITIZENS.

BUT THAT MAY BE ALL IT GETS.

A TEAM OF U.S. LAWYERS REPRESENTING NIGERIA IN THE UNITED STATES HAD ARGUED HERE AT THE WEEKEND THAT THE WEST AFRICAN NATION WAS COMPLYING WITH ALL WASHINGTON’S DEMANDS ON MATTERS OF DRUG ENFORCEMENT.

THEY WERE SUGGESTING THE U.S. PRESIDENT MAY NOW BE ABLE TO CERTIFY THAT NIGERIA HAD FULFILLED CONDITIONS SET BY WASHINGTON FOR THE REINSTATEMENT OF HUMANITARIAN AND OTHER AID.

THE UNITED STATES CITED THE DRUG TRADE IN 1993 AND 1994 WHEN IT ‘DECERTIFIED’ NIGERIA FOR FAILING TO FULFILL THE CONDITIONS. THE ADMINISTRATION IMPOSED ECONOMIC SANCTIONS AND CUT HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE.

BUT WHILE WASHINGTON HAS SIGNALLED ITS APPROVAL OF NIGERIA’S ANTI-NARCOTICS EFFORTS — INCLUDING THE DRUG ENFORCEMENT DECREE ANNOUNCED HERE RECENTLY AND THE SEALING OFF OF SUSPECTED MONEY LAUNDERING SITES — THE COUNTRY IS LIKELY TO REMAIN AN OUTCAST.

THE BILL CLINTON ADMINISTRATION, PRESSED TO TAKE EVEN TOUGHER ACTION AGAINST THE REGIME OF GEN. SANIG ABACHA FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AND OTHER ABUSES, IS ONLY GRUDGINGLY ACKNOWLEDGING THE DRUG ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS. “WE GIVE CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE,” ONE SENIOR U.S. ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TOLD IPS IN WASHINGTON.

IN ITS RENEWED DRUG FIGHT, NIGERIA’S NATIONAL DRUG LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY (NDLEA) THIS MONTH HANDED DOWN A DECREE WHICH EMPOWERS THE AGENCY TO RAID CAR SALES SHOWROOMS AND OTHER SUSPECTED MONEY LAUNDERING VENUES.

UNDER THE NEW LAW — THE MONEY LAUNDERING DECREE 3 OF 1995 — THE POLICE CAN ALSO RAID SOCIAL FUNCTIONS AND DEMAND TO KNOW THE SOURCE OF A PERSON’S FUNDS. THE NDLEA MAY ALSO TAP TELEPHONE LINES AND INVESTIGATE LARGE DEPOSITS IN BANK ACCOUNTS, A DEVELOPMENT THAT HAS CAUSED PANIC AMONG INVESTORS.

“NO MATTER THE EFFORTS MADE BY OFFENDERS TO CONCEAL THE PROCEEDS OF THE TRADE, THE AGENCY WILL GO TO ALL LENGTHS TO UNVEIL THEIR SECRETS,” NDLEA BOSS, MAJ. GEN. MUSA BAMAIYI HAS WARNED.

“THERE WILL BE NO EXEMPTION OR SACRED COW IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROVISIONS OF THIS NEW DECREE AND WE WILL NOT CARE WHOSE OX IS GORED AS THIS IS ONE OF THE BANES OF THE NATION’S BATTERED ECONOMY TODAY,” BAMAIYI SAID.

NDLEA AGENTS SEALED OFF SEVERAL VEHICLE SALES DEPOTS IN THIS FORMER CAPITAL DURING A RECENT RAID. NOW, THE GATES OF 12 PROMINENT SHOWROOMS REMAIN LOCKED AS ARMED SOLDIERS STAND GUARD

“THE RAID WAS INFORMED BY THE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS BY NIGERIANS THAT THE BOOMING CAR BUSINESS WAS AN ARM OF A COMPLEX DRUG BUSINESS,” THE NDLEA SAID IN A STATEMENT. “THESE ALLEGATIONS WERE HELPED BY THE FLASHY LIFESTYLE OF THE CAR DEALERS, MANY OF WHOM RIDE IN CARS WORTH SEVERAL MILLIONS OF NAIRA.”

THE AGENCY BELIEVES THAT DRUG BARONS HIDE THEIR MONEY BY SHIPPING EXPENSIVE CARS TO NIGERIA TO BE SOLD BY CAR DEALERS.

BUT DEALERS ARGUE THAT MOST GARAGES OR SHOWROOMS ONLY HELP CERTAIN NIGERIANS WHO WANT TO SELL IMPORTED CARS. THESE INDIVIDUALS PAY FOR THE SHOWROOM SPACE AND THEY PAY A COMMISSION FOR EVERY CAR SOLD BY THE DEALERS.

“MOST CARS ON DISPLAY IN OUR SHOWROOM ARE OWNED BY NIGERIANS WHO LIVE ABROAD. THEY BUY THE CARS AND SHIP THEM TO DEALERS TO HELP THEM SELL IN NIGERIA, AND A COMMISSION IS PAID FOR ANY CAR SOLD. WE HAVE THE PAPERS TO PROVE THIS,” SAYS STEVEN AYO-OLA, A SALES CLERK AT A SHOWROOM THAT HAS ESCAPED THE RAIDS.

THE NDLEA SAYS IT WILL VACATE THE PREMISES OF A DEALER ONLY ON PRESENTATION OF THREE KEY DOCUMENTS: AN IMPORT DUTY REPORT, A CLEAN REPORT OF FINDING ISSUED BY PRE-SHIPMENT INSPECTORS, AND COPIES OF THE LETTERS OF CREDIT FROM THE TRANSACTION.

INSURANCE COMPANIES WHICH DERIVE A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF THEIR INCOME FROM CAR SALES HAVE ALSO BEEN HIT BY THE NDLEA RAIDS JUST AS SOME VEHICLE)PRICES HAVE MORE THAN DOUBLED.

THE MEASURES LAUNCHED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR HAVE YIELDED SOME SUCCESS. THE AGENCY RECENTLY SEIZED JUST OVER FOUR THOUSAND KGS OF HARD DRUGS VALUED AT MORE THAN ONE MILLION DOLLARS ON THE BLACK MARKET.

POLICE HAVE ALSO ARRESTED MORE THAN 200 SUSPECTS SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, WITH SOME 75 PERSONS ALREADY CONVICTED FOR DRUG OFFENCES, COMPARED WITH 67 LAST YEAR.

“UNTIL THE DRUG MENACE IS COMPLETELY ERADICATED OR REDUCED TO A TOLERABLE LEVEL, THE AGENCY WILL NOT RELAX IN ANY OF ITS MEASURES TO ARREST THE SITUATION,” SAYS BAMAIYI.

WASHINGTON, WHICH IS CONDUCTING A MID-YEAR REVIEW OF NIGERIA’S ANTI-NARCOTICS EFFORTS, IS APPARENTLY IN NO HURRY TO RESTORE AID TO THE ABACHA REGIME.

ASKED WHETHER THE EFFORTS HERE MAY LEAD TO RE-CERTIFICATION OF THE COUNTRY, A SENIOR U.S. ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL SAID, “I DOUBT THERE WILL BE ANY CHANGE IN STATUS.”