NDLEA Official Gets 7-Year-Jail Sentence For Smuggling Drugs

Employed and trained to catch and bring drug smugglers and peddlers to justice, Ibrahim Muazzam, an official of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, chose the wrong side to be on; the opposite side of the law.

The former NDLEA high ranking official was today, Thursday, November 7 sentenced to seven years in prison for smuggling drugs by a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.

Ibrahim in 2009 aided a suspected drug baron, Eni Itu to smuggle drugs which was discovered at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. Ibrahim on that fateful day in 2009 was off-duty but had gone to the airport to help check in a bag belonging to Eni Itu who is still on the run.

Muazzam, who an Assistant Superintendent of Narcotics at that time, was caught, arrested, dismissed and immediately charged to court for attempting to help smuggle 3.7 kilogrammes of heroin out of the country.

While delivering the judgement, Justice Balikisu Aliyu was livid about the fact that an officer who was paid by the government to arrest drug traffickers was aiding them to perpetrate the criminal act.

Two charges of aiding and aiding and conspiracy was brought up against him; he however pleaded not guilty of the latter of which he was exonerated.

“Although the NDLEA was unable to prove the case of conspiracy against the accused, the court is convinced that there is enough evidence before the court to convict him on the grounds of aiding and abetting. The accused is therefore sentenced to seven years imprisonment,” Justice Balikisu Aliyu said.