By Tony Nyong
UYO—Commander of the Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency in Akwa Ibom State, Mrs. Josephine Obi, has denied that Mrs. Alice Imah, 56, was beaten to death by staff of NDLEA in the state.

Obi said though the cannabis vendor allegedly died in the hands of men of NDLEA shortly after her arrest, the agency would not succumb to the blackmail by family members of the deceased.

Stressing that Mrs. Imah died of shock after some five kilogrammes of hemp was discovered in her shop and house, the NDLEA Com-mander said: “Three joints were raided on the day Mrs. Imah died. The raids were based on information and purchases made from the affected joints.

“Her joint was the second on the way to the ‘borrow-pit’ where the bulk of the exhibits were recovered in the freezer and the corner of the house.”

Health issues

She said the agency had warned late Mrs. Imah several times after previous arrests and released on health grounds before the January 26 arrest.

However, Mr. Bassey Imah, a native of Ewet Offot village, a staff of Niger Pet System and husband of late Mrs Imah, alleged that the wife died from the effect of brutal force applied by some officers of NDLEA. Residents of the neighbourhood in Udo-Ikpe Close, told Vanguard that the agency’s Commander, Mrs Josephine Obi was not in the team and, therefore, cannot defend the action of men of the agency.

Eyewitnesses’ accounts

Late Alice, according to an eyewitness account, was picked up in her shop, located directly adjacent her 3, Udo-Ikpe Close, in Uyo, at 5.00pm by officers of NDLEA, who cordoned off all entrances to the residence before raiding the compound.

They allegedly kicked and beat the woman, who suddenly slumped. They were said to have tried to revive her with some sachets of water she was selling before they took her away. She was said to have died on the way.

A neighbour of the deceased, Mr. Nsikak Ekwere, told Vanguard: “The men came in their vehicle, blocked the entrance to the close, went into the shop and after few minutes dragged the woman out in handcuffs. They began to beat her while the grandchildren were screaming. Then the woman collapsed.

“They left her with one other boy under the sun for almost 40 minutes, ransacked her house. They came out and hurled the woman into their vehicle, when they noticed she was not breathing well.”

Widower’s search for body

The husband said while he was at work on Thurs-day, January 26, he got a call that some people from NDLEA had raided his home and had manhan-dled and arrested his wife.

He said the following day, Friday, he went with breakfast for his wife but was not allowed to see her. He was told the wife’s feeding had been taken care of by the government.

He said by afternoon he went back with lunch but still could neither see her nor deliver the food as he was told that the wife was at the Ewet Housing Police Station. He said on getting there, he was told by that his wife was not there.

Imah said: “Information about the death of my wife did not come to me till Monday, January 30, even after another suspect arrested by NDLEA hinted me that that my wife had died.

“When I confronted the Commander of NDLEA with my wife’s family members, she told me to immediately come and take the corpse of my wife or they will throw it away.”

We’ll meet in court

The family gave seven days to NDLEA to, among other things, refund N358,000 allegedly carted away from their family house, and negotiate the kind of compensation to be given the family or face legal action.

However, the NDLEA boss said though the ultimatum had expired, she would not be intimidated by the demands. She said she would have no option than to follow them to court to find legal solution to the entire matter.