By Ezra Ukanwa, Abuja.

The Center for Democracy and Human Rights, CDHR, has frowned at the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, over what it described as the quick release of Chief Afam Mallinson Ukatu.

The group, in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Adebayo Lion Ogorry, and made available to our correspondent, yesterday, stated that its latest condemnation comes against the backdrop of seeing, Ukatu, “a convicted drug baron being made a co-launcher at a religious event at Oba Akinjobi road Ikeja GRA Lagos, following his release by the NDLEA.”

The group, therefore, maintained that the foregoing is proof that NDLEA’s war against drugs is only lip service.

Ogorry explained that the alleged “Billionaire Drug Baron NDLEA told the world in her Press conference around May 2022 that he imported 22 Billion Naira Drugs into Nigeria” is now free and “is moving about and taking part as a socialite in Lagos and other part of the country spending big at social event.”

According to Ogorry, Allowing Ukatu to be free in such a manner when the NDLEA staged such a loud media event to announce Ukatu’s arrest would definitely make nonsense of the so-called war against drug trafficking.

“Ukatu has been free since last year, where he did a thanksgiving in the Church last November and on Sunday was the Chief Co-Launcher of the 2023 Harvest launch” of a religious body.

“Interestingly, these police officers are in detention on false allegations that they tampered with some of the Drugs they recovered and transferred to NDLEA.

“Again, the main criminals in this case, the International Drug Traffickers arrested by Police IRT and transferred to NDLEA with the drugs, were released from Suleja Prison on 19/5/2023. They are free to go and continue their drug business after just 16 months imprisonment, a fight against drug trafficking indeed!”, He added.

The group, therefore, called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu “to act fast, conduct a forensic investigation of the NDLEA using Neutral Security agencies like DSS, EFCC etc.