Senate Investigates Drug Allegations Against Senator Ashiru

Nigeria’s Senate has constituted a six-member ad hoc committee headed by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe to investigate the drug allegations the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) made against their colleague, Senator Oyelola Ashiru, the deputy leader of the Red Chamber.

This followed a ‘personal explanation’ by Ashiru under Order 42 of the Senate rules, in which the lawmaker said his privileges were breached by the NDLEA.

The NDLEA claimed to have raided Ashiru’s house in Ilorin, Kwara State and recovered a consignment of drugs, with three of his aides arrested, prosecuted, and sentenced.

Chairman of the agency, Brig. Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa, represented by Mr. Femi Babafemi, Director of Media and Advocacy of the agency, made the allegation during a press conference on Monday.

Ashiru, however, denies these allegations, calling them malicious and an attempt to malign his character and silence him from contributing to Senate debates.

READ: How We Recovered Hard Drugs From Kwara Senator’s Home — NDLEA

The 68-year-old senator emphasized his innocence, stating he doesn’t consume alcohol or drugs, including cannabis.

Responding, Senate President Godswill Akpabio backed the senator, saying, “Injury to one is injury to all.”

Akpabio said, “Anything you say here is covered by privilege; it is covered by immunity. In the Senate, we see you as a gentleman to the core.”

The Senate President charged the ad hoc committee to summon the leadership of NDLEA to appear before the Senate to justify the allegations.

Akpabio threatened that failure to justify the allegations would be met with drastic action against the NDLEA.