Kano Senator Accuses Colleagues of Having Connections With Drug Dealers
In a heated session on Tuesday, Senator Kawu Sumaila (Kano South) caused a stir in the National Assembly when he alleged that several of his colleagues were involved in drug abuse and had connections with drug dealers.
Sumaila made these explosive claims while contributing to a debate on a Bill aimed at establishing the National Institute for Drug Awareness and Rehabilitation.
Sumaila asserted that some senators were not only using drugs but also keeping illegal substances in their homes and constituency offices. He further claimed that many lawmakers had close ties with drug dealers, suggesting that drug abuse and trade were rampant within political circles.
“As I am speaking now, most of our offices in our constituencies, most of our political offices, when you go there, you will find a mountain of drugs, and there are drug dealers in our offices and in our houses,” Sumaila alleged during the plenary session.
The senator did not stop at his colleagues in the Senate, accusing senior political leaders of supporting drug dealers in carrying out their illicit activities. He challenged his fellow senators to take a drug test to prove they were not complicit.
“If we are talking, we need to understand, we are all one here. We need to fight it from our own side. Let us go for tests and see who and who are not [involved],” he urged.
Sumaila also called for politicians to swear on religious texts, such as the Qur’an or the Bible, to prove they were not involved in drug abuse during their election campaigns. He argued that drug tests should be mandatory for politicians before they contest elections or assume office.
“We need a situation where before contesting elections, or before taking up an office at whatever level in government, you must go for a drug test,” he said.
The senator’s comments were met with mixed reactions. While some lawmakers appeared to take his accusations seriously, others felt his remarks were out of line.
Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, who presided over the session, quickly ruled Sumaila’s comments out of order, stating that they were not relevant to the Bill under discussion.
“Our contributions should be relevant to the subject matter. In this case, your contribution is not relevant,” Jibrin said.
Sumaila’s allegations have since sparked widespread discussion, with some calling for a deeper investigation into the claims, while others dismissed them as political posturing.
Despite being ruled out of order, Sumaila’s remarks have added to the growing debate on the influence of drugs within Nigerian politics, and whether more needs to be done to address drug abuse at all levels of government.
The Senate will continue discussions on the Bill to establish the National Institute for Drug Awareness and Rehabilitation, though Sumaila’s accusations may continue to overshadow the legislative debate in the coming weeks.