BY EBUN SESSOU

Days before Babatunde Omidina was released from detention in the hands of the National Drugs and Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on bail as he did not excrete the drugs he was alleged to have swallowed, Saturday Vanguard went to his family residence to feel the pulse of his family and neighbours as what began like a child’s play gradually became worrisome as authorities of the National Drugs and Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have not been able to place any evidence against him.

A trip to Baba Suwe’s house at Ewu-Elepe area of Ikorodu, Lagos State, was enough to tell what the family went through since his arrest.

His unpainted one-storey building at Baale Street, Ewu-Elepe area of Lagos was deserted. No elderly man was present as at the time of visit except for two women. One was dark in complexion and in her 30s. She claimed to be wife to Baba Suwe’s younger brother. The other woman wouldn’t reveal her identity. The children were kept indoors .

It was almost impossible for one to believe that people lived in the house. The house is surrounded by a very tall fence with a giant black gate in front of it.

After some knocks at the gate, a voice responded, asking, “who is that?”. The woman who claimed to be Baba Suwe’s younger brother’s wife came out.

When the reporter revealed her intention and the purpose of the visit, she said, “I don’t know what you are talking about. I’m not aware of what you are talking about. I don’t have anything to say. In fact, I am the only one in the house. Nobody is here with me, the children have all gone to school. I am only a wife, of Baba Suwe’s younger brother. So it is impossible for me to say anything.”

Baba Suwe acknowledging cheers

In a state of panic, she beckoned on a particular woman opposite her to intervene. Gradually, more women came from every nook and cranny of the area, expressing their disappointment on how the story has been running. Only a little intervention prevented the reporter from being beaten up by the women.

Even when they were told that the essence of the visit was to know how they had been coping with the situation since Baba suwe was arrested, they said, “Don’t ask any question. Go to Baba Suwe and ask him whatever you want to ask him.”

According to them, “You people have been reporting different things. Yet, you claim to be concerned about his family. Anyway, we don’t have anything to tell you. You can go back to Baba Suwe, he is at the International Airport. You can go and speak with him and whatever he says, that is the end.”

That was not the end. A fair woman who claimed to be a neighbour said all sorts of unbearable things to prevent the family from granting any interview.

“Look, if you allow them to put words in your month, that is your problem,” she told the wife. At that point, the woman went inside and didn’t come out again.

After a while, she came out with another woman, saying, “everybody has gone out. There is nobody here that can speak with you, you can go”. At that time, they started dialing different numbers and calling on people. And the children who were said to have gone to school started coming out one after the other.

At first, a little boy came out and stood behind the gate inside the compound. After some minutes, one older boy came out with a bucket of water. Even the dogs in the compound knew what was going on and one after the other, they came wagging their tails.

Baba Suwe’s house at Ewu-Elepe area of Ikorodu, Lagos State

Efforts to speak with these people proved abortive and the reporter was left with no choice than to leave the environment.

Speaking with some of the neighbours, one man who claimed anonymity said, “I am not in position to say anything according to my belief. I am a Christian. I cannot say anything because there is no evidence to prove that the man is guilty. Let us leave everything to God. He has commanded us not to judge anybody and it is not for me to talk either.”

Meanwhile, another person said, “I think we should give them more time before judging them, only that the whole thing is going too far. But sometimes, I wonder if the fault is from the scanner because it is an an electronics operated by man. So errors can occur at any time. We all saw the case of Abdulmutalab who attempted to bomb the United States airlines. Investigations show his name was wrongly typed.”

A trader said, “All I know is God knows all hidden things. Even though they caught him and jailed him, it doesn’t stop others who are really barons. NDLEA should do their best in truth and leave him. God knows if he did it or not. There is no need suffering him unnecessarily since he can’t excrete anything. God help Nigeria from poverty.”

One Uche, a businessman said, “For the agency to keep him(Baba Suwe) in their custody longer than expected without excreting any drugs, can dent the image of the agency.”

However, Bimpe a student said, “Nigerians are fond of judging before getting the real side of the story every time. Please it will always be the best if we could wait to see the end of all stories before nailing people to the cross. I wouldn’t know if a man could survive with that drug in him for more than three days. If this news are baseless, Baba Suwe should get ready to fight back.

“NDLEA should be more thorough and effective when dealing with national issues like this. It doesn’t have any genuine reason for keeping Baba Suwe. He should be released scot-free,” a teacher said, adding that “NDLEA should allow him to go since they couldn’t discover any drug on him because his fundamental human right has been jeopardized”.

Another neighbour said, “NDLEA is doing its work, but the man said he has nothing on him, therefore he should be set free. Only God knows what is not clear to human being. If he has taken any drug, he would have ejected it. I don’t see the reason why he should be detained since there’s no proof and adequate medical equipment and personnel to operate on him. I believe care should be taken not to jeopardise one’s dignity.”

A banker who claimed anonymity said,“Baba Suwe should be dealt with according to what the constitution stipulates, because people like these are tarnishing the country’s image in the international community.”