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The Acting Director of Drug Prevention, Education, and Training at the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Ibrahim Samuel Dugba, has confirmed that the agency has not received any official directive to investigate or search for Jos Leijdekkers, alias Umar Sheriff, the notorious drug kingpin, who is on Europe’s most-wanted list.
In a recent statement, Dugba emphasized that the NDLEA’s role in the case is dependent on formal instructions from law enforcement or the Ministry of Justice, both of which had not been issued.
“There has been no directive from either the Law Enforcement Officers Dependent or the Minister of Justice informing the NDLEA about a certain culprit who is wanted or directing us to carry out any investigation,” Dugba stated.
He further clarified the NDLEA’s position on organized crime, noting that drug trafficking is one of the world’s top three organized crimes, alongside human trafficking and ammunition smuggling. However, he pointed out that despite the seriousness of the situation, the agency’s hands were tied without the necessary orders to take action.
Regarding the whereabouts of Umar Sheriff, Dugba was careful not to speculate, reiterating that the NDLEA had not been tasked with tracking down the kingpin.
“What I want you to know is that we cannot provide any information on the arrest of the wanted drug dealer, Umaru Sheriff, as there has been no directive that puts us in charge of searching for him,” he said.
While the NDLEA is not directly involved in the search, Dugba confirmed that the police, under the leadership of Inspector General William Fayia Sellu, had set up an investigative team to apprehend Sheriff. The Police have assured that they will keep the public informed about any developments in the case.
The NDLEA, according to Dugba, will collaborate with the police if needed but reiterated that they cannot confirm whether the drug kingpin is currently located in Sierra Leone, a country that has been speculated as one of his potential hideouts.
