NDLEA seizes N90bn worth of drugs in four months – Marwa

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

Chairman/Chief Executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Brig. General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) on Monday disclosed that the agency seized drugs valued at N90 billion in the last four months.

The NDLEA boss stated this at a ceremony to give commendation letters to 45 outstanding officers and men as well as best performing commands award for the months of March and April, 2021.

He said the achievement of the NDLEA so far was the sum total of the efforts of all the officers and men across the various commands in the 36 states and the FCT as well as the special commands.

“That is to say, the credit goes to every one of us here and in our various commands. We did not bring in a new set of operatives to implement our new action plan. We are still the same officers and men of the NDLEA. We are breaking these new grounds, because of our collective resolve and our rededication to service.

“Were it not for you, the achievements of the past four months wouldn’t have been possible. We wouldn’t have been able to arrest 2,175 drug traffickers, neither would the seizure of 2,050,766.33 kilograms of assorted illicit drugs have been possible if you had chosen to do just the minimal work across your various commands.

“If our approach has been one of business as usual, we would not have been able to seize drug and cash valued at over N90 billion in just four months. Think of what a fraction of that could have done to the various criminalities in Nigeria,” he said.

According to Marwa, the filing of about 2,100 drug cases in court with over 500 convictions was made possible by the collective efforts of officers and men who decided to go the extra mile.

“Today, it is part of our records and collective credits that we are not only breaking down the high walls shielding drug cartels but also reining in drug barons. So, every one of you, our officers and men, spread across the country made the achievements possible.

“I want to assure you that the Agency will not rest on its oars. Our offensive action will not stop until our streets, communities, towns and cities have been cleaned up of any remnant of illicit drugs. While we keep up the offensive in the field, the leadership of the Agency will daily continue to work out effective strategies and tactics to sustain the momentum.

“That is why we have strengthened our Directorate of Assets and Financial Investigations to go after all assets or funds linked to drug trafficking which had led to interim and final forfeiture orders on assets and funds worth billions of naira linked to drug traffickers and barons. Of significant interest is our current investigation of a N30 billion slush fund believed to be proceeds of drugs,” he added.