9th December, 2010
The Director General of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Otunba Lanre Ipinisho, has been removed from office by President Goodluck Jonathan, sources told P.M.NEWS this morning.
Ipinmisho was replaced by Mr. Femi Ajayi, the Special Adviser to the President, who once worked for the Daily Times of Nigeria newspaper.
Sources told P.M.NEWS that Ipinisho was replaced because his tenure of four years has expired. A source, however, disclosed that his removal has political undertone.
The chairman of NDLEA, Alhaji Ahmadu Giade, was however not replaced.
During Ipinmisho’s tenure, he modernised the NDLEA and extended the scope of the agency within the country. He also employed thousands of people to beef up the agency’s operations.
It was also during his tenure that the United States of America removed Nigeria from the drug list.
—Simon Ateba
