By; RAYMOND TEDUNJAYE, Lagos
The vigour with which the Brigadier Gen. Buba Marwa led administration of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency ( NDLEA) is fighting the war against illicit drugs proliferation and addiction can be described as second to none, due to the successes recorded within the short space of assumption of office.
Record breaking seizures recorded within the period under review, shows that drugs worth over N100b have been seized by the agency under Buba Marwa’s watch.
Unlike what was obtained in the past, the agency under the nonsense retired Army technocrat but not tired, is not only making seizure, but taking the fight frontally to the den of the barons and exposing their strategies cum antics.
Hence, experts have been applauding his strategies and mien, describing his appointment as one of the best by President Muhammadu Buhari.According to security experts,tackling security in the country goes beyond arrest and prosecution of suspected criminals but examining the root cause for the growing menace.
They alluded to the fact that proliferation of drugs is no doubt one of the factors fueling Insecurity in the country, as there is hardly an arrest of criminal suspects where drugs are not among recovered exhibits.
This, the Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) had taken into account before embarking on the war to rid the society of illegal consumption of drugs thereby checking insecurity in the country.
The NDLEA under the Chairmanship of Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.) has no doubt made more visible the effort of the agency in tackling illegal circulation and consumption of drugs in the country.
The agency like never before took the fight against drug abuse to a record breaking level where arrests of culprits and seizures of drugs were recorded like never before.
Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.) was appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency on January 16, 2021 to replace the former chairman, Col. Muhammad Abdallah (retd.), after his tenure expired on January 11.
Marwa, a former military administrator of Lagos and Borno states, has since then left no stone unturned in tackling the menace of drug abuse in the country.
According to the agency, a series of interceptions and seizures of cocaine and heroin were mostly recorded at airports especially Murtala Mohammed International Airport which remained the epicentre of the spectacular seizures.
Statistics of seizures obtained by our correspondent revealed that the airports have recorded what stands to be the biggest single seizure from an individual in 15 years, which is 26.840kg of cocaine smuggled from Brazil in January, 24.05 kg of Heroin in April, 27.95 kg of Cocaine in May and 26.15kg of Heroin in May.
Our correspondent reports that the agency, in its bid to fight drug abuse did not stop at arrests and seizures but went the extra miles in rehabilitating and counseling drug users.
Statistics showed that 5,579 drug users were counselled and rehabilitated by NDLEA.
“A figure that gives a fair balance between our drug control and drug demand reduction efforts.” the agency said.
Marwa was once military attaché, Nigerian Embassy, Washington DC, USA, and defence attaché, United Nations, New York, as well as a former ambassador to South Africa and the Kingdoms of Lesotho and Swaziland.
He obtained a master’s degree in Public Administration from Harvard University and another master’s degree in International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh. These are in addition to his training in the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna State.
Some of the spectacular seizures recorded by the Agency since January 2021 include:
Seizure of 230 tons of cannabis in Edo State in February and a recent seizure of over 100 tons of the psychotropic substance across the country in the past two weeks.
Seizure of 451, 807 Captagon tablets, weighing 71,119 kg in September at Apapa Seaport, Lagos. This was the first-ever recorded seizure of the drug in the West and Central African regions.
Interception of 1,994, 400 capsules of Tramadol in February at the Apapa Port, another 144, 400 bottles of Codeine syrup in March and this October, 32.9 kg of Cocaine.
Interception of 43.11 kg of cocaine in February at Tin Can Seaport and another 22, 590 kg of Codeine syrup at the port in September.
Interception of 4, 996, 200 capsules of Tramadol, weighing 2,498 kg in May at the Onne Port and another interception of 100,000 (100ml) bottles of Codeine cough syrups weighing 15, 325kg in 500 cartons at the port in June
As of October 15, the Agency has also recorded the following achievements:
9, 355 arrested traffickers, including six drug barons.
Over 5, 000 drug offence cases filed in court.
More than N100 billion worth of drugs and cash recovered
Over 2.7 million kilograms of assorted illicit drugs were seized in 10 months.
Other notable efforts and achievements of the agency in tackling drug proliferation, which cannot be measured in figures but are nevertheless significant includes signing of international partnerships.
The first of this development took place between NDLEA and DLEAG of The Gambia on August 4, 2021, when a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed in Banjul to formally seal the cooperation between both countries to combat illicit production, manufacture and trafficking in narcotic drugs.
Similarly, Saudi Arabia’s General Directorate of Narcotics Control (GDNC) and NDLEA have held preliminary discussions that will culminate in the signing of a pact for international cooperation between both agencies.
These developments are symbolic of the growing influence of NDLEA and recognition of Nigeria’s effort in the anti-narcotic space.
The NDLEA also revealed that the agency had received donations of equipment and training of officers on modern ways of checking proliferation of drugs.
“Strategic partners, such as DEA and UK Border Force and foreign governments have in the past 10 months warmed up to NDLEA.
“There have been commendations for the agency’s performance, especially in its drug supply reduction action. Their willingness to associate with NDLEA was also expressed verbally by their emissaries and representatives and in-kind by way of donations of equipment and training.
“From the American, British and French governments, we have received donations of various operational equipment.
“The government of Germany has formalised plans to establish a two-million euro Narcotic Detection Dog Training Facility, which will be completed in phases over three years.” it said.
The agency added that welfare of officers were also paramount in achieving the collective goal of tackling the menace of proliferation drugs and that the agency would continue to do everything possible to boost the morale of the officers.
Some of the steps taken by the Agency to achieve this includes;
Promotion of 3, 506 officers whose careers had stagnated for as long as 20 years.
Payment of burial entitlement to the families of 188 officers who died in the line of duty since 2014.
Recruitment and training of 5, 000 operatives.
Creation of 5 new directorates and 14 zonal commands, including:
Directorate of Planning, Research & Statistics
Directorate of Special Duties and Strike Force
Directorate of Media and Advocacy
Directorate of Airport Operations.
