The Minister for the Interior, Mubarak Mohammed Muntaka, says he will not allow political pressure to interfere with efforts to arrest and prosecute individuals suspected of involvement in illicit drug trafficking.
He said his Ministry, in collaboration with relevant security agencies, would pursue suspected offenders, including alleged drug kingpins, and ensure they face the due process of the law.
Speaking in an interview on Monday, October 12, Mr Muntaka urged politicians to support the fight against illicit drugs rather than use their influence to seek favours for suspects.
He stressed that political connections would not shield anyone from prosecution, adding that cases would be determined through the judicial process based on the evidence presented in court.
“We want everybody to support us, especially the political class, because sometimes I get calls, and I tell them that, look, for us, crime is a crime. We do not care who is involved; once we get the person, we will prepare our evidence and ask you to meet us in court. When we go, and the court says that our evidence is not strong enough, so we should go, fine, but for us, we will not compromise,” he said.
Mr Muntaka said the government was focused on breaking up drug trafficking networks and bringing those behind the illicit trade to justice.
“Our focus is to uproot (illicit drug trading) and get the kingpins. It’s not easy to get the kingpins, but we are working around it to ensure that we uproot these things,” he added.
The Minister said the pledge was part of the government’s broader efforts to curb illicit drug cultivation and trafficking across the country.
He stressed that all suspects would be dealt with in accordance with the law, regardless of their social or political standing, adding that no influential individual would be allowed to bypass due process to secure their release.
