Jigawa court jails drug trafficker 3 years for stabbing NDLEA officer

A Federal High Court in Dutse, Jigawa State, has handed a three-year prison term to Hassan Ismail, described as a notorious drug trafficker, for the attempted murder of a National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) officer during an operation in Auramo, Ringim Local Government Area. The NDLEA Jigawa State Command's Assistant State Commander, Admin and Logistics, ACN Abdullahi Wada, announced the judgment in a weekend statement, saying Ismail used a knife to stab the officer as he tried to avoid arrest. The statement said Ismail was convicted and sentenced together with five other drug offenders. The court, according to the statement, delivered a major win for the NDLEA Jigawa State Command by convicting and jailing six drug offenders, including the suspect who attacked an officer with a sharp knife during the Auramo Ringim raid. The statement described the conviction as a warning that fleeing or resisting cannot prevent justice. It recalled that during the recent sting operation named Restore Order in Auramo, Ringim LGA, an officer was intentionally and maliciously stabbed with dangerous knives by Ismail, who was desperate to escape arrest. Although wounded and bleeding, the officers did not relent, subdued him with courage and professionalism, seized the exhibit and arrested him, the statement said, adding that the bravery had now yielded results. Ismail was arraigned, tried, convicted and sentenced to three years imprisonment with hard labour by the Federal High Court, Dutse, the statement said. It said the message was that an attack on an NDLEA officer is an attack on the Federal Republic of Nigeria and would attract the full weight of the law. The Federal High Court also convicted and sentenced five other drug traffickers arrested from various hotspots in the state. They are: Abba Muhd, also known as Dan Yola, 23, of Ringim LGA, arrested with 27.93 grams of Cannabis Sativa and sentenced to two years imprisonment; Aliyu Muktar, 24, of Gumel LGA, arrested with 500 grams of Cannabis Sativa and sentenced to one year imprisonment; Mohammed Iliyasu, 25, of Babura LGA, arrested with 1.1kg of Cannabis Sativa and 14.5 grams of Tramadol, sentenced to two years; Dayyabu Musa, 35, of Gwaram LGA, arrested with 1.211kg of Cannabis Sativa and 12 grams of Tramadol, sentenced to two years; and Abba Sulaiman of Gwaram LGA, arrested with 1.40kg of Cannabis Sativa and 7 grams of Tramadol, sentenced to two years. The statement added that all convicts will serve their terms with hard labour and without the option of fine where pronounced by the court, while their exhibits were forfeited to the Federal Government. Reacting to the judgment, the State Commander, NDLEA Jigawa State Command, Commander of Narcotics [CN] Hassan Katangana Kabaju, praised the officers for their bravery, particularly the Ringim team, and commended the judiciary for firm and speedy justice. He said the conviction, especially that of Hassan Ismail who wounded an officer, was justice for the wounded officer and for society. It showed that no amount of violence would stop the agency, he said, warning drug dealers in Dutse, Gumel, Ringim, Babura, Gwaram, Kazaure or in the bush that they would be found, arrested and prosecuted. He said Jigawa would not serve as a safe haven for drug crime. He warned youths to stay away from illicit drug trafficking and abuse, saying the Command had been fully repositioned with intelligence and logistics to clear out all drug dens. He also thanked the people of Jigawa State for useful intelligence.