Unmasking patrons driving extension of drug-trafficking networks

The paradox of the extension of the networks of drug trafficking, despite heavy clampdown by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), among other accompanying security agencies, has been a rabble rouser evoking thoughts. One would have, in all, expect the drowning of trafficking of hard drugs with the spate of arrests and seizures recorded by the NDLEA in their hunt after drug pushers. However, while the records of arrests with weekly update continue to take course, it is mind blowing that increasing arrests has continued to reveal the depth of the flow of exchanges along the value chain of the illicit venture, but without the arrest subduing the escapades. Hence, against serving as deterrent to deter mischievous elements from the illegitimate venture, it is only reflective that arrests and seizures have only recorded more of heavyweight trafficking with mind blowing profile.

The paradox therefore, calls for strategic redefinition of patterns to sweep the phenomenon off board. The prevailing system of response largely driven by clampdown, has not seem too productive as deterrent. It therefore, appears there are stronger forces driving more persons into the venture than what the moves of arrests and seizures of hard substances would command. The pattern of the unending chain of the escapade, apparently has assumed a configuration driven by a network of coordinated patterns, which has been circumventing the operations to clampdown on same. It is apparent some agents within the security architecture are culpable of acting against the interests of the nation, conniving with barons as mischievous devices of illegitimate entities.

It is apparent this deformities in the Country’s security architecture with infidelity of security operatives, have left a space in the operating board of the networks of the illicit venture. Hard drug cartels have come to build a network where breaches in security architecture have found a place of default to circumvent processes, which even heavy clampdown would find difficult to subdue. With the existing structures, arrests and seizures would remain unending with the paradox of broadening scope of trafficking of drugs, amidst increasing arrests.

Reports from the NDLEA has revealed that billionaire drug baron, Chief Afam Mallinson Emmanuel Ukatu widely reported to be behind the N3billion Tramadol deal involving the embattled suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, DCP Abba Kyari, has been arrested by its operatives. Report from the NDLEA revealed after months of surveillance and evading arrest, Ukatu who is Chairman of Mallinson Group of Companies was eventually nabbed onboard a flight to Abuja at the MM2 terminal of the Lagos airport, Ikeja on Wednesday 13th April. Investigations revealed he has been a major importer of large consignments of different brands and high dosages of Tramadol Hydrochloride, ranging from 120mg, 200mg, 225mg and 250mg, all of which are illicit. It has been allegedly disclosed that Ukatu owns pharmaceutical and plastic manufacturing companies, which he used as a cover to import illicit drugs into Nigeria. He was said to be operating 103 bank accounts, most of which are used to launder money. Ukatu came under watch last year after five cartons of Tramadol 225mg were seized from his staff on 4th May, 2021 when he sent them to sell to undercover police officers (unknown to Ukatu) from the then Kyari-led Intelligence Response Team (IRT) of the Nigeria Police, Ikeja Lagos.

The price of a carton of Tramadol was negotiated at N17million each as against the then black market value that ranged between N18million and N20million a carton in Lagos. After the arrest of Ukatu’s staff, Pius Enidom and Sunday Ibekwete, Kyari’s men were then led by the suspects to Mallinson’s warehouse at Ojota in Lagos where 197 additional Cartons of Tramadol 225mg were seized by the IRT Team. The monetary value of the 202 cartons of Tramadol seized from Mallinson in one day was over N3billion.

Three weeks after the seizure, the Kyari’s IRT team transferred only 12 Cartons of the Tramadol with one truck and a suspect to the Lagos Command of the NDLEA, leaving 190 cartons unaccounted for. After over eight months of following the lead, anti-narcotic officers of the Agency eventually arrested Ukatu at the Lagos airport on 13th April 2022. Kyari and four top members of his team are already facing trial for a different but similar offence at a Federal High Court in Abuja.

Underground checks to the depth of trafficking of hard drugs would reveal the unending profile of the misadventure has been sustained by the undertone of subterranean manipulation of using seemingly appearing legal entities — business and  institutional frameworks — to push illegal ventures. The infidel posture of cruel security operatives pushing  personal selfish interests in the disguise of service to the nation, has left behind lacunas of exploits to further sustain the space of illegitimate ventures in the Country. It is apparent that more ventures have been pushed forth into the landscape as legal entities, but rather an avenue for a subterranean agenda. Taking the fight to identify such entities bearing undertones of driving subterranean purposes against national interest and societal good has become sacrosanct.

The drudgery fight of arrests and seizures have become more of a routine to the extent of turning a trite. It is rational that more efforts are galvanised for strategic change in  orientation. This demands penetrating to the deep roots of the networks, unmasking the patrons of the cartels who have made themselves barons, and have mastered the device of recruiting desperate citizens to the escapades of the illegitimate venture. Unless these barons and their structures of misadventures are identified and exposed, clamping-down their agents would only blow a trumpet without significance to ending the phenomenon, as their patrons would keep roving the networks with more recruits. Hence, turning to hunt the patrons of drug trafficking networks, their structures of manipulation bearing the push for the network, and the institutionalised agents giving ample space for their exploitation, has become of necessity, if the narrative of fighting trafficking of hard drugs would become significantly appreciable and its ravaging impacts distilled from devouring the fabrics of the Country.