The Niger Delta Independent Advocacy (NDIA) has issued a strong statement demanding that the Nigerian government ensure full prosecution of Emami Ajetsibogho, the younger brother of controversial Itsekiri figure Ayiri Emami, over allegations of smuggling hard drugs worth billions of naira and prohibited firearms into the country.
In the statement dated August 14, 2025, the group warned against political interference in the case, alleging that “political and ethnic influence networks have been activated to derail prosecution and suppress media coverage.”
The NDIA stressed that the alleged crimes pose a “grave national security threat” and must not be treated as a “minor offence” warranting administrative bail.
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“This case must proceed directly from arrest to court and if conviction follows, to prison. Any attempt at administrative bail will be deemed a calculated obstruction of justice,” the statement read.
Citing provisions of the 1999 Constitution and relevant laws, the group highlighted that the NDLEA Act prescribes life imprisonment for drug trafficking, while the Firearms Act carries severe penalties, including capital punishment, for importing prohibited weapons.
The NDIA also drew historical parallels to the Warri Crisis of 1997–2003, recalling reports by Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International that detailed how the mix of guns, drugs, and politics led to ethnic violence, displacement, and the destabilisation of oil production in the region.
The advocacy group outlined four specific demands:
1. No Administrative Bail for the accused.
2. Multi-Agency Investigation involving the NDLEA, DSS, Nigerian Police, and the Office of the National Security Adviser.
3. Public Prosecution and Asset Forfeiture under the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022.
4. International Oversight from bodies such as the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, ECOWAS, and the African Union to ensure transparency.
Issuing a stern warning, the NDIA vowed to resist any attempt to shield the suspect through political connections, declaring, “The Niger Delta will never allow itself to be turned into a narco-state where criminals use political power to poison our youth and arm our streets.”
The statement, signed by Dr. Williams Tamarapreye and Hon. David K. Okpoghene, concluded with a commitment to mobilise peaceful mass protests and escalate the campaign internationally if the case is “buried in backroom deals.”
Quoting Edmund Burke, the group added: “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. We will not look away. We will not be silent.”
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