Professional tennis player arrested for cocaine trafficking

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, at the weekend apprehended a professional tennis player, Dairo Toyin, 30, and a Lagos businessman, Okoliachu Chukwudi Augustine, 46, over alleged drug dealing.

Dairo was apprehended while attempting to board a British Airways flight to London. His final destination was New York where he usually trains in preparation for a tournament. The other suspect, Chukwudi was nabbed in his house at Festac area of Lagos. According to the NDLEA Airport commander, Alhaji Hamza Umar, both suspects have been hiding under the cover of their professions in dealing in narcotics.

"While Dairo Toyin hides under the cover of a sports man, Okoliachu Chukwudi presents himself as an importer of marbles and other building materials. Until their arrests by the NDLEA, no one would ever imagine they are into drugs", Hamza stated. Dairo, who began his professional tennis career in 1996, has represented Nigeria in several Davis cup competitions.

Notable among his international appearances are Italy in 2002, Senegal in 2004, Germany and Nigeria both in 2006. The tennis player, who hails from Ekiti State, has however, blamed his woes on frustration arising from inability to sponsor his trip to international tournaments.

Dairo lamented, "I am ashamed of myself. It was not intentional. My problem began in 2005 when my sponsor died. There was no one to help, things became difficult. In the process, I was introduced into drug trafficking. I have been smuggling drugs to take care of my bills each time I attended international tournaments. This time around, I was caught. I swallowed 100 wraps and when they weighed it, the weight was 1.445kg. It also tested positive for heroin".

Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade said any drug trafficker that rejects the Agency's call for a drug-free society will end up in prison custody. "The dragnet of the Agency is large enough to accommodate all drug barons. Innocent members of the public should also beware of the devices of these enemies of the society to derail them from their destinies.

Leadership

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Dubai police deny Ibori's bail claims

Contrary to the claims of Chief James Onanefe Ibori, the Dubai Police has denied promising to grant the former governor of Delta State a fresh bail.

Ibori had claimed in an electronic mail that the police authorities of the United Arab Emirates had promised to free him the same week his bail was revoked. Leadership can authoritatively confirm that there was no such agreement between the Dubai Police and Chief Ibori, who is still languishing in the prison where he has been kept since June.

An e-mail sent to our correspondent by the Dubai Police authorities said the police authorities were forced to look at flight risk, interference with evidence or witness, or the possibility of committing another offence as the three main factors considered when contemplating bail revocation.

The mail further stated that the police revoked his bail and did not promise him a fresh bail because of an actionable intelligence that the former Delta State chief executive might flee Dubai, having become desperate following the sentencing of two of his associates to five-year jail terms.

"We only told Mr. Ibori that he would remain in prison until the conclusion of his extradition hearing in the United Arab Emirates; so, where did he get the promise that he was going to be granted a fresh bail within a week? "The extradiction case may last for more than one year and he will have to remain here till the end of the hearing," the electronic mail signed by one Haliyah Mohamed further said.

It would be recalled that Ibori went to Dubai police headquarters in June for a chit-chat with the Interpol boss in Dubai where he was informed that they would need him to remain in jail just to follow up on some information they received on his case.

The former Delta State governor is currently fighting the battle of his life, as members of his legal team are trying to get him bail, and subsequently stop his imminent extradition to the United Kingdom to face sundry money laundering charges.

But in a new development, the United Arab Emirate Court which rejected the no-case defense filed by Ibori at the beginning of last week, also gave the British Police 30 days to file further evidence against the former governor.

A source close to Ibori's camp stated that efforts by his lawyers are on a top gear as many arguments have been raised by them to make the Dubai Police authorities understand the need for them to grant him bail before the conclusion of the extradiction case.

Leadership

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Nation seeks U.S. help over negative stereotypes

Nigeria yesterday called on United States to assist the nation in countering some negative and destructive stereotypes about the country.

Addressing the Council of Foreign Relations (US most influential non governmental organisation), where he presented a paper on "Challenges and Prospects: Perception and Reality of Nigeria at 50", Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Odein Ajumogobia, said negative perception is a significant challenge Nigeria faces as a nation.

He cited as example, a scathing indictment of the country by a journalist, Richard Bowden, in his book : Africa Altered States, Ordinary Miracles", where he described Nigeria as a country with a terrible reputation, and where foreigners dread to go to.

Noting that such negative reports about the country may not be true reflection of situation on ground, he said negative stereotypes represent part of the challenges the nation faces in trying to build a better, stable, prosperous and just country founded on rule of law.

He said such negative perceptions do not also create opportunity for the acknowledgment of the efforts of the Nigerian government in addressing problems militating against the development of the country.

He said: "The unconstructive and prejudicial negative portrayals, images and generalisations of the country that are syndicated through global media networks and by journalists with new stories to tell totally ignore the progress that the country has made against all odds."

He therefore called for America's support for the country's efforts in getting things right. "For one thing the US can help us in countering some of these destructive negative stereotypes. America's perspectives and official pronouncements influence opinions and decisions in board rooms around the world", he said

While acknowledging that Nigeria, like some other countries, may have missed some opprtunities, he said the dawn of a golden jubilee celebration calls for a certain amount of introspection.

"Taking a stock, five decades after Nigeria gained independence from great Britain in october 1960, many of its friends and well wishers have continued to wonder why a country endowed with so much - a large vibrant population and landmass, an array of mineral resources and vast arable land, easy access to the sea etc., has been unable to harness and deploy its huge material and human endowment and potential into rapid development and prosperity.

"There is infact palpable frustration, even anger, amongst some of Nigeria's best friends that progress has not occured fast enough in a country that providence appears to have favoured. To those friends and well wishers, let me say this: we truly appreciate and understand your concern and sometimes visceral criticisms of our suboptimal performance as a country", he said.

Yesterday's event, presided over by former US Ambassador to Nigeria Princeton Lyman, was attended by present and former top US officials and foreign diplomats. Ajumogobia who arrived in US on Tuesday also met with the Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Mr. Johnie Carson, yesterday and will be meeting with Secretary of State, Senator Hillary Clinton, and the National Security Adviser, Gen. James Jones, today.

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