The Kano State Special Task Force on Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking has rejected reports suggesting that the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) is preparing to release a luxury passenger bus seized during an investigation into a major drug trafficking operation in the state.
Chairman of the task force, Muhuyi Magaji, said the case remains under investigation and that authorities intend to pursue the matter through prosecution once the necessary inquiries are concluded.
The controversy followed the seizure of the bus during an intelligence-led NDLEA operation in August, in which illicit substances reportedly valued at about N500 million were recovered from, or linked to, the vehicle.
Six individuals — Onyeka Vincent, Success Chibuzie, Nwankwo Wisdom, Emmanuel Jude, Chinedu Peter and Okodili Ogbuach — were also arrested in connection with the operation.
Reports that the bus could be released while investigations were still underway sparked concerns, particularly because the vehicle was allegedly owned by a prominent businessman.
But Magaji said he personally contacted the Kano State NDLEA Commander, who confirmed that the inquiry had not been concluded and that the vehicle remained part of the ongoing case.
According to him, some drivers and conductors connected to the bus had been invited for questioning, while preliminary findings indicated “some level of complicity” in the matter.
He added that determining the ownership of the bus would be an important aspect of the investigation, noting that claims that a property was used for criminal purposes without the owner’s knowledge should not, by themselves, be treated as sufficient grounds to completely absolve the owner.
“I can assure you that the leadership of the NDLEA, together with the Kano State Government, is monitoring the case closely.
“We will follow the matter through to prosecution and will not allow any form of compromise,” Magaji said.
He appealed to the public to allow investigators to complete their work, assuring that the task force would pursue the matter “to the letter”, irrespective of the identities or status of anyone found to be involved.
The task force maintained that the reported plan to release the bus does not reflect the current position of the investigation and that the authorities remain committed to establishing the circumstances surrounding the seized vehicle and the alleged trafficking operation.
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