Businessman sues the NDLEA for 33 days of allegedly illegal detention.

Mr. Aro Aderinde, a businessman from Lagos who is 48 years old, has threatened to sue the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for forcibly entering his home in the Ikorodu neighborhood of Lagos, arresting him, and holding him for 33 days.

The anti-narcotic organization revealed three months ago that it had detained Aderinde, who had been on its wanted list, in connection with the alleged export of 3,149 kilograms of cannabis sativa cloaked in coconut fibers via container number MSKU 1820587.

Aderinde, however, charged that NDLEA had not conducted a thorough investigation before disclosing his identity in the open.

In a press conference held over the weekend in Abuja, he claimed that the agency’s actions were illegal and that he had been freed after being found to be innocent of the charges brought against him.

Therefore, he demanded an apology from the NDLEA and the withdrawal of the article, which he claimed had hurt him.

He claims, “On October 16, 2022, at around 4 am, about 30 armed NDLEA officers broke into my home in Ikorodu and damaged three doors to gain entry. Regarding an offense I was unaware of, they detained me in their office for 33 days before arresting me.

“With my picture holding a placard and some packages placed beside me in the photo, they spread the rumor to the print, electronic, and social media that I am a drug kingpin, implying that those packages of illegal drugs were found on me. All of these actions were taken without thorough investigation.

“This action is defamatory and harms the reputation of my family, my business, and me.

“After my release, my attorney wrote the NDLEA requesting that all publications against me in print, electronic, and social media be retracted. However, the organization responded to my attorney that since it was not at fault, no such action was necessary.

As a result, he said, “I have instructed my attorney to file a lawsuit against the NDLEA over my arrest, detention, and the defamatory publications.”

Aderinde was still wanted by the NDLEA, according to Mr. Femi Babafemi, the agency’s spokesman, who was contacted.

Aderinde is wanted by the Agency because he disregarded the terms of his administrative bail, which required him to show up with the other suspects in the case, according to Babafemi.

“He failed to show up, and already charges have been brought against him, while others have been reporting. Instead of trying to win people over with an appeal for sympathy, he needs to submit to his charges.