Notorious drug trafficker sentenced to 3 years imprisonment for st@bbing NDLEA officer in Jigawa

A Federal High Court in Dutse, Jigawa State has sentenced a notorious drug trafficker, Hassan Ismail, to 3 years imprisonment for attempted m8rder of a National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) officer during a sting operation in Auramo, Ringim Local Government Area of the state.

The Assistant State Commander, Admin and Logistics, NDLEA Jigawa State Command, ACN Abdullahi Wada, who disclosed this in a statement at the weekend said Ismail st@bbed the officer with a knife in a desperate attempt to escape arrest.

According to the statement, Ismail was convicted and sentenced alongside five other drug offenders.

“In a major victory for the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Jigawa State Command, six drug offenders, including the notorious suspect who attempted to m8rder an officer with a sharp knife during a raid in Auramo Ringim, have been convicted and sentenced to various jail terms by the Federal High Court sitting in Dutse,” the statement read.

“This conviction is a clear warning that you can run, you can fight, but you cannot escape justice.

“You will recall that during a recent sting operation Restore Order in Auramo ,Ringim LGA, one of our officers was deliberately and wickedly st@bbed with dangerous sharp knives by a drug suspect, Hassan Ismail, who was desperate to escape arrest.

“Bleeding and wounded, our gallant officers refused to be deterred. With uncommon courage and professionalism, they overpowered him, secured the exhibit, and arrested him. That bravery has now paid off.

“Hassan Ismail has been arraigned, tried and has been convicted and sentenced to 3 years imprisonment with hard labour by the Federal High Court, Dutse.

“The message is clear: Attack on NDLEA officer is attack on the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and it will be met with the full weight of the law.

“In the same dispensation of justice, the Federal High Court also convicted and sentenced five other drug traffickers arrested from different black spots across the State.

1.  Abba Muhd alias Dan Yola, 23 years, of Ringim LGA: Arrested with 27.93 grams of Cannabis Sativa. Sentenced to 2 years imprisonment.

2.  Aliyu Muktar, 24 years, of Gumel LGA: Arrested with 500 grams of Cannabis Sativa. Sentenced to 1 year imprisonment.

3.  Mohammed Iliyasu, 25 years, of Babura LGA: Arrested with 1.1kg of Cannabis Sativa and 14.5 grams of Tramadol. Sentenced to 2 years imprisonment.

4.  Dayyabu Musa, 35 years, of Gwaram LGA: Arrested with 1.211kg of Cannabis Sativa and 12 grams of Tramadol. Sentenced to 2 years imprisonment.

5.  Abba Sulaiman, of Gwaram LGA: Arrested with 1.40kg of Cannabis Sativa and 7 grams of Tramadol. Sentenced to 2 years imprisonment.

“All the convicts will serve their jail terms with hard labour and without option of fine where so pronounced by the court, and their exhibits forfeited to the Federal Government,” the statement added.

Reacting to the judgment, the State Commander, NDLEA Jigawa State Command, Commander of Narcotics [CN] Hassan Katangana Kabaju, commended the officers for their bravery, especially the Ringim team, and applauded the judiciary for its firm and expeditious justice.

“This conviction, especially that of Hassan Ismail who wounded our officer, is justice for the wounded officer and justice for the society. It shows that no amount of violence will stop us. Drug dealers, wherever you are – whether in Dutse, Gumel, Ringim, Babura, Gwaram, kazaure or in the bush – we will find you, we will arrest you and we will prosecute you. Jigawa State will not be a safe haven for drug criminality,” he said.

He warned youths to desist from illicit drug trafficking and abuse, as the Command  has been fully repositioned with intelligence and logistics to smoke out all drug joints.

He also thanked the good people of Jigawa State for their useful intelligence.