Drug Dealers Back To Mushin ~ Residents

Akala Street in Mushin, Lagos.

Barely a week after a combined team of officers of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency and the Nigerian Army raided Akala area of Mushin, a notorious hideout for illicit drugs dealing in Lagos, the drugs dealers are believed to be back.
The operation which lasted many hours on June 1, led to the arrest of 47 suspected drug traffickers and addicts and seizure of 3,166.15kg of narcotics such as cannabis, cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine.
PUNCH Metro had on May 31 reported the activities of the drug barons who residents said were fuelling the mayhem in the area.
Some residents told PUNCH Metro on Sunday that the drugs dealers were back and openly selling narcotics.
A resident, who identified himself simply as Ola, said he was amazed that after the raid, the drug dealers had the boldness to resurface.
He said it appeared to the residents that the dealers were untouchables.
Another Akala resident, who preferred anonymity for fear of being hunted, alleged that those released bought their freedom.
He said, “It is business as usual here in Akala. The drug barons are back because they do not live in Akala. Even some of those that were arrested have bought their freedom.
“A popular baron is now back in his base at Oyegunle Street. When that house was raided, a lot of jewellery, drugs and stolen items were found in a hole inside the house.”
Another resident, who gave her name as Ndidi, said apart from the raid, security agents giving the drug dealers back-up, should also be arrested.
He said, “They would not have been operating with such impunity if not for security agents supporting them. Some of them usually boasted that even though they are arrested, they would be released. Some security agents are behind them.
“From the look of things, they may be right. Just a week after, we can see some of them on the streets doing the same thing. It is curious that some security agents patrol the area everyday and see how they display and advertise hard drugs openly without any molestation.”
But spokesman for NDLEA, Mr. Mitchel Ofoyeju, said those found on the streets were addicts not dealers.
He said those that had been identified as dealers would be charged to court soon while the users would be rehabilitated.
Ofoyeju said, “The truth is that most of the people arrested were addicts. By law, we cannot prosecute them. We subject them to counseling. Those who went back are not dealers – they are users.
“During the operation, we picked everybody within the scene of operation. It was in the office we separated them.
“Those we have identified as dealers will be charged to court. The users will be rehabilitated. We are going to embark on constant raids to dislodge the criminals. We want to ensure that the place is sanitised.”

Well, Arresting dealers and Addicts wont really help matters because other potential dealers are worming up until the state task-force proceed to sanitize the place.