Sunday, July 24, 2011

NDLEA arrests Fela’s wife, others over cannabis

… blames involvement on temptation
By Daniel Eteghe
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Saturday, arrested the wife of the late  Afro beat legend, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, with two others over alleged possession of 340 grammes of cannabis (aka Indian hemp) in her Gbemisola Street, Ikeja, Lagos residence.
Mrs. Najite Anikulapo Kuti, 45, was arrested allegedly with 50 grammes of the substance alongside another lady, Helen Richard, 36, with 170 grammes and Mr. Mike Arinze, 26,  with 120 grammes.
Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade, who confirmed the arrests, said the case was under investigations.

According to the agency’s boss, “the arrests have been brought to my notice and the case is under investigation”.
While disclosing how the suspects were arrested, Lagos State Commander of the NDLEA, Alhaji Sule Aliyu, said the arrests were made after a tip-off, adding that the substance tested positive to cannabis.
He alleged that Mrs. Anikulapo-Kuti was found in possession of the dried weeds with the two other suspects.
The suspect, who was amongst the 27 wives Fela married, said her involvement in drugs was a result of temptation.
She has been into the selling of  drinks at her Ikeja residence and hails from Delta State. While struggling to prevent tears, she told journalists “this temptation should have been resisted by me”.
She claimed to have been selling the substance to sustain her family.
One of the other suspects, Helen Richard, who used to be a dancer with Fela, also said she was selling cannabis to sustain herself. She is a single mother.
The last suspect, Mike Arinze, said: “I was drinking beer at Mama’s place when the officers came and found the hemp in my pockets. I used to sell hemp in night clubs to survive”.
 
Culled from :  Vanguard

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