The Pacesetter Frontier Magazine

Tag: NDLEA

  • Marwa condemns drug use, says criminalities will stop only if we address drug abuse

    CHAIRMAN and Chief Executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig Gen Buba Marwa (rtd.) says the criminalities in the country will continue if the problem of drug abuse is not addressed.

     

    Marwa said the use of drugs in Nigeria today is at an alarming proportion of approximately 15 million, nearly three times the global prevalence.

     

     

    He said this during the inauguration of a Special Purpose Committee of the NDLEA to mobilise the civil society to get actively involved in the fight against drug abuse, peddling and trafficking in Abuja.

     

    “No wonder so much criminality everywhere in our land and it is increasing instead of abating with such symptoms as kidnapping, insurgency, banditry, rape, and assassinations. Behind it all is drug use. Criminals now ask for ransom in drugs and unless we get to this root cause, we will only be scratching the surface, as the criminalities will continue to flourish,” he said.

     

    The committee which was headed by him had the mandate to bring up recommendations on how best to tackle and eliminate the drug scourge within the shortest possible time.

     

    A former Director-General of NDLEA, Otunba Lanre Ipinmisho who serves as the Coordinator of the committee assured that the purpose of mobilising the professionals for the campaign against drugs will be achieved.

     

    Present at the event were the representatives of the First Lady, Mrs. Aisha Buhari; wife of the Vice President, Mrs. Dolapo Osinbajo and that of Edo State First Lady, Mrs. Betsy Obaseki, while the Benue State governor’s wife, Mrs. Eunice Ortom, attended personally.

     

     

     

    Source: www.thenationonlineng.net

  • NDLEA seeks government approval to conduct drug test for university students, security agencies, govt appointees

     

     

     

    The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, (NDLEA), says it will seek government approval to conduct drug tests on tertiary institutions’ new students, security agencies’ fresh recruits and appointees.

     

    Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd), Chairman of the Agency said this during a meeting with commanders of the 36 states, FCT and special commands on Monday in Abuja.

     

    Marwa said that he would soon propose to the government the necessity for drug tests for all tertiary institutions resuming students.

     

    He added that the test would also be conducted for National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) members, new workers, all security agencies, new recruits and random tests for government appointees.

     

    “NDLEA is ready to help and we must help. The success we make of this particular task goes a long way to determine the socio-economic stability of the nation.

     

    “We need not be told of the nexus between drug use, crime and criminalities.

     

    “The exponential growth of the nefarious drug activities can be directly linked to the upsurge in crimes such as insurgency, terrorism, kidnapping, cultism, political thuggery, gangsterism, rape and other maladaptation bedeviling today’s Nigeria,” he said.

     

    The NDLEA boss said he would put more efforts on drug demand reduction as part of plans to eradicate the scourge in Nigeria.

     

    Marwa tasked all commanders to be desirous of keeping drugs out of Nigerian streets and homes saying that they all must shape up and get all those engaged in the nefarious business to face the music.

     

    He expressed his determination to run with the National Drug Control Master Plan (NDCMP) saying that the toll free call centers and help lines would soon be set up for the use of Nigerians ready to give information or seek intervention from the agency.

     

    “Ours is a national assignment. Drug has littered everywhere; every community. We will lead the fight and we will succeed. Make no mistake about it, it is a collective effort.

     

    “We will equally devote a lot of efforts to prevention, treatment and after care and focus on family and parenting, community, school systems, advocacy to all groups.

     

    “This will be through traditional institutions, religious bodies, media, NGOs, CSOs, State and local governments among others. We will rehabilitate our rehab centres, make them functional while more will be built.

     

    “And I need results from now on. Our maxim will be offensive action. This means we must go all out constantly on the offensive against the bad guys,” he said.

     

    Marwa warned the unbending drug crime perpetrators  saying that it was high time they embraced another trade as their game was up.

  • NDLEA confiscates 15,253.82kg of cocaine, cannabis, tramadol in Edo State

    Commander, Mr. Buba Wakawa, said 180 were males while 82 were females.

     

    He said 10 vehicles used in smuggling illicit drugs were equally impounded within the period under review, adding that 15 cannabis plantations measuring 11.82 hectares were identified and destroyed.

     

    Wakama noted that 86 drug-dependent persons were successfully counselled and reunited with their families, adding that eight drug traffickers were convicted while 220 cases were pending at the Federal High Court as at December 31, 2020.

     

    He said, “The Command recorded the achievement despite the COVID-19 lockdown and the EndSARS protest that led to the destruction of the State Command headquarters. Currently, we have 262 suspects in our net.

     

    “The various modes of drug concealment adopted by drug barons include use of silos, underground tunnels, cannabis warehouses as well as false compartments in trucks, buses and cars.”

     

     

    Source: www.punchng.com