Report linking Polo Club to drug trafficking false, malicious – Bala
http://www.hrlnews.com/2019/08/report-linking-polo-club-to-drug.html
The Guards Polo Club Abuja has described as false and malicious,
recent reports that linked the club as being one of the hubs for drug
trafficking cartel across the country.
President of the club, Amb. Sani Bala in a statement issued in Abuja
on Wednesday, stressed that the club was too secured to have given room
for such activities.
Bala said that the club rather than remain self-righteous, set up a
committee to probe the allegation and found out that the reports were
untrue.
He therefore said that the report was malicious and only an attempt
to smear the image of the club and its members who are responsible
members of the society.
“Aside the fact that the purported investigative report is
misleading, inaccurate, and portrays the Guards Polo Club as an
irresponsible organization.
“It clearly carries the insignia of a well-orchestrated campaign
aimed at tarnishing the image and reputation the club has built over the
years.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the club as a responsible organization
with members drawn from the cream of society and reputable institutions
within and outside Nigeria has a long history of decency, integrity and
morality that should not be dragged to the muds in the manner being
portrayed in the purported report.
“It is important to note that in as much as the club exists to create
a platform for social interaction and cohesion amongst persons
(especially youths) of diverse backgrounds, it does not condone acts of
recklessness, lawlessness and social vice.
“It is therefore shocking and even disheartening to conclude that
this same organization would turn around to promote or even indulge the
very acts it frowns at.
“This explains why, at the risk of self-indictment, the club
management (on hearing the news of links to drug cartels) summoned an
emergency meeting to investigate and ascertain the veracity of the
allegations,” Bala said.
Giving insights to the outcome of the investigation, he said that the
club’s security committee swung into action and ransacked nooks and
crannies of the club.
He said that the club’s 200 horse stables were thoroughly searched
possible recovery or trace of any drugs related activities while the
over seventy grooms in the club were interrogated.
“The club has a security post/ personnel at the entrance to the club
to screen, search and take inventories of all vehicles and persons
coming in and out of the club.
“Moreover, the club has a 24- hours military personnel on guard duty
with a view to checkmate illegal activities in and around the club.
“The conclusion of the club’s self-assessment is that, having
established all the necessary mechanisms to have watertight security at
all entry and exit points at the club, it is near impossible for the any
acts alleged to have been committed within the premises of the club to
have happened.
“In addition, all activities at the club over the years have never
been conducted in secrecy as all its annual or quarterly sporting
activities have always been conducted in the open.
“There has never been a time that actions of visitors or even members of the club have come under scrutiny,” he said.
He therefore maintained that the report linking the club to drug
trafficking was a hatchet job calculated to tarnish the image and
reputation of the Guards Polo Club.
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