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| TONTO DIKEH |
The Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency has said it is
keeping tabs on more celebrities in Nollywood and the music industry for drug
trafficking, abuse and links with drug cartels.
The agency said the move became necessary,
following its investigation into the activities of controversial actress and
singer, Tonto Dikeh, for possible consumption of hard drugs.
Dikeh had on June 28, 2013, posted photographs of a
wrap of hemp and grains of the weed formed into the letters, ‘Happy birthday
POKO.’
She also posted a photograph of herself with the
inscription, ‘Mi smoke ganja mi smoke weed while my haterz smoke ma gossip.’
Mr Mitchell Ofeyeju, the Head, Public Affairs, NDLEA,
said that Nollywood stars had been prosecuted for drug-related offences, “We
are beaming our searchlight on more celebrities with regard to drug trafficking
and abuse.”
He added that, the arrest and conviction of Nollywood
stars, Hassanat Akinwande, popularly known as Wunmi, and Tochi Uche have
clearly shown that some members in the sector are vulnerable and susceptible to
manipulation by drug cartels, “We have a responsibility to investigate and
identify anyone involved in drug trafficking and use, we are deeply concerned
when such personalities are linked with drugs because of their large number of
fans.”
Noting the implication, Ofoyeju said, having
celebrities dealing in hard drugs, their fans might want to act like them and
this might have “ripple effects” on the followers.
The NDLEA spokesman said, “This will not be treated
with kid gloves and any breach of the NDLEA act will not be condoned.
In an act
to tackle this, sniffer dogs had been provided as instrumental to major drug
seizures in the country.
“The heroin hidden inside woolen rug carpets
imported from Pakistan was detected by the sniffer dogs, the dogs help to
detect drugs that ordinarily are difficult to uncover, using normal search
techniques,” he said.
He further said the agency had not recorded any
drug seizure on private jets, adding, “We are taking measures to ensure that
drug trafficking cartels do not use such jets.”
NDLEA, which said it would investigate Dikeh, had
hinted that the actress and singer risked a minimum of 15 years in jail for
allegedly encouraging the consumption of hemp.
She, however, denied using the weed, saying the photos
were ‘photo shopped.’
Source: Punch
newspaper.
