Report linking Polo Club to drug trafficking false, malicious – Bala

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.