Almost without exception, Nigerians believe that violent crime is increasing. In the short run, they are right: Violent crime did increase between 2015 and 2019. But what really worries most people is not the short-run trend but their sense that violent crime has been climbing steadily for a long time and that the future will only bring further increases. Such worries are linked to anxiety about drugs abuse, rape, kidnapping, declining academic standards, the growth of the underclass, and our collective inability to realize cartel syndicate open shop in our various airports. Taken together, these fears have convinced many sensible people that Nigeria society is on the skids.
With the current discovery made by United Nations, Nigeria has about 201 million citizens making her retained her name as the most populous Africa’s country. Yet Nigeria is still one of the poorest countries in the world, ranking near the bottom in many human development indices. Corruption is endemic, unemployment is growing, illiteracy rates are near 50 percent, HIV/AIDS is on the rise, and now kidnapping is trending.
Another shocking incident which exposed a long time drug trafficking business recently came to light when a young Nigerian lady named Zainab Aliyu, student of Maitama Sule University, Kano was arrested in Jeddah for allegedly having an illicit substance in her luggage. The dangerous system of drug trafficking which is gaining momentum at international airports across the world came to light further when NDLEA launched an investigation into staff of Aminu Kano international airport.
The NDLEA conducted its investigation upon a petition received from Zainab’s father and found out that the Tramadol bearing bag was planted on her by some members of staff of the airport. She is not aware of the second bag bearing her name tag. Those seven members of staff involved, according to the report, have since been arrested and charged to court. The NDLEA have gathered evidences vindicating Zainab’s innocence, forwarded it to the ministry of foreign affairs to take the necessary action in securing her freedom.
It is well-known for all those interested in travelling to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia that the penalty for drug trafficking is the death sentence and the said sentence is applied on all persons convicted without any exceptions, as long as the evidence is established against them, and this is conveyed to every person prior to his trip to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Death sentence is not negotiable for anyone found guilty of indulging in the illicit trade whether knowingly or unknowingly.
Aware of the danger attached to these kind of illegal transaction in those countries that frown at it, drug cartel devise a way of planting their illicit substances into unsuspecting travellers luggage. An act that renders many innocent Nigerian accomplice to crime if caught, but when succeeded they drug trafickkers allured by the juicy income will fetch their goods at the other end and enjoy the benefits that comes with it.
It is sad that a drug cartel, a criminal organization with the intention of supplying drug trafficking operations that ranges from loosely managed agreements among various drug traffickers to formalized commercial enterprises in Nigeria airports. These kinds of operation by the cartels has been going on for quite sometime while security agencies are either unaware or choses to look the other way.
Prior to Zainab Aliyu arrest, another Nigerian named Wahid Somade has been arrested in Jeddah airport, Saudi Arabia for allegedly smuggling about 1,138g of cocaine. This disappointment came shortly after a Nigerian lady, a widow and a mother of two named Khudirat Afolabi was executed in the same country for a related offence. The sad truth is that in the midst of talking to Saudi Government to secure Zainab release there are about 20 Nigerians on death row, although some or both might be Innocents.
However, the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Nigeria has insisted that all legal and judicial procedures were observed before the execution of a Nigerian woman over alleged drug-related offences. Such procedures will be used to determine Zainab Aliyu’s innocence.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Diaspora Affairs , Abike Dabiri -Erewa , on Monday said Buhari had directed the Attorney- General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami , to immediately intervene in her case. Just about the same time the Presidency tweeted Zainab was released.
Following these reports that there exists across all the international airports in Nigeria a cartel that specialises in planting drugs in luggage belonging to unsuspecting air passengers.
We at Sky Daily believe that Airlines should as a matter of urgency design a document for each of their passengers to sign stating the number of luggage they are checking in and what they contain. There is need to increase monitoring of airline staff members that are directly or indirectly involved in the checking in of passengers’ luggage. Also, shops should be dismantle in the general area of departure halls which could be used to harbour the hard drugs.
From violent extremism and insurgency to piracy, kidnapping for ransom, attacks on oil infrastructures, drug trafficking, and organized crime, Nigeria faces a host of complex security challenges. These threats typically involve irregular forces and are largely societally based. They are most prevalent and persistent in marginalized areas where communities feel high levels of distrust toward the government—often built up over many years. At their root, then, these security challenges are symptoms of larger failures in governance.
The vast majority of security threats facing Nigeria are internal. Effectively combating such threats requires cooperation from local communities—cooperation limited by low levels of trust in our hitherto vulnerable security forces who often have reputations for corruption, heavy-handedness, and politicization. Tackling modern security threats, then, is directly tied with improving the governance and oversight of the security sector, especially the police. Key paths forward include clarifying the structure of command and oversight, strengthening merit-based hiring and promotion processes, and better regulating private and voluntary security service providers.
