The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), conveyed the gratitude of the officers and personnel of the anti-narcotic agency to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his consistent support toward ongoing endeavors to combat substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking in the country.
Marwa made these remarks while responding to inquiries from journalists during his inspection of the facilities at the NDLEA barracks in Yola, Adamawa State, which is nearing completion and preparation for commissioning.
According to him, “We thank God for the project, we appreciate the continuity in governance. President Buhari appreciated the issues surrounding the security and welfare of staff.
“They seize, arrest, prosecute and deal with the criminals, yet the criminals come back to them because they live among them. But now we have the barracks for our personnel. President Buhari approved it and commenced it, and now President Tinubu has continued with same zeal and drive, so we appreciate this element of concern towards the NDLEA.”
While commending the standard and quality of work being done at the barracks, he said “Consultants, contractors have done very well, good quality, well monitored, best materials and design as you can see, and we are 95% done.
“We hope that by the grace of Allah, before the middle of this year, we’ll fully launch this first phase. We are targeting initially the six geopolitical zones to have a barrack each, for equity and balance and in the succeeding years, we hope the succeeding government will continue in all the 36 state commands, FCT, and Special Area commands.
“Our officers are all excited and willing to do more, because this is a testament to the good work that the officers have been doing that yielded this project and they are willing to do even more.”
Responding to another inquiry, the NDLEA chief emphasized that in addition to apprehensions, confiscations, and the legal pursuit of drug traffickers and kingpins to tackle supply reduction, the agency is also dedicated to diminishing the demand for illicit substances. This involves collaborating with various stakeholders to raise awareness and tackle the underlying causes of substance abuse.
“In 2018, a Presidential Advisory Committee for the Elimination of Drug Abuse (PACEDA) was set up, which I had the distinct honour of being the chairman. One of the major tasks that we had was to identify the root causes of drug abuse and trafficking and make recommendations which we did.
“In the process, we found that poverty is one of the key predisposing factors of drug use in all societies. It is important to note that it is not only Nigeria that has this problem, the whole world is facing it. So, in pursuing temporary relief, some people get into drugs.
“For this reason, I know for a fact that the president is determined to pull Nigerians out of poverty. And for the NDLEA and other institutions and stakeholders like the ministry of health, NAFDAC, etc, we are all combining efforts in drug demand reduction.”
He emphasized that the battle against drug abuse encompasses various aspects and extends beyond the sole responsibility of the NDLEA.
“The media are in the forefront, the church is in the forefront, community leaders, Imams, clerics, educators, NGOs, traditional institutions, women and youth organizations; we all must collaborate with security agencies to stamp out drug abuse from this country.”
He suggested that he would soon address the nation regarding a significant seizure and several arrests made as part of ongoing endeavors to dismantle drug cartels that continue to operate between Nigeria and other countries in Africa, Europe, and America.