From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has said the option of fine for drug peddlers and users in Nigeria was making nonsense of the war on drugs, the Agency calling for stringent punitive measures, recommending 15 years minimum and life sentences for any Nigerian caught dealing in illicit drugs.
Chairman of the Agency Brig Gen Buba Marwa (retd), who said this Thursday during the ministerial briefing organised by the Presidential Communications team at the Presidential Villa, said the Agency was proposing an amendment to its Act to the National Assembly, to curb the high prevalence of drug abuse in the country as well as serve as a deterrent to perpetrators, which he said has attained an alarming rate.
Marwa, while recalling a recent judgement in favour of the Agency in which a drug dealer, his manager and three other workers on his cannabis farms were sentenced to 15 years imprisonment by a Federal High Court in Benin City, Edo State, regretted that judge gave the convicts who were in possession of 183.5 kilogrammes of cannabis sativa, charged with conspiracy and cultivation of 22 hectares of cannabis farms, an option of N700,000 fine on all the counts.
The NDLEA boss disclosed that the Agency has seized illicit drugs and cash worth over a N100 billion, which has been remitted into the federation account.
According to Marwa, from January 25 more than 2.7 million kilogrammes of assorted illicit drugs have been seized.
Marwa also revealed that 1 in 7 Nigerians use illicit drugs, with 1 in 4 female and 14.4 million Nigerians currently under the influence of illicit drugs.
The drugs czar further disclosed over 5000 cases, involving 9,355 arrested traffickers, including six drug barons have been filed in court.
He added that so far, NDLEA has rehabilitated 5,579 drug users, with 20 per cent seriously addicted.
Marwa listed the challenges facing the NDLEA to include the absence of conducive accommodation like dedicated barracks for staff and their family, poor welfare scheme among others.
He said the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari has made efforts to compensate about 188 officers who were killed in the line of duty.
The NDLEA chief while advocating for parents to test their prospective sons-in-law, for drugs before giving out their daughters in marriage like they would test to ensure they are HIV/AIDS, reiterated that the Agency will never support the legalization of cannabis no matter its economic gains, disclosing that about 10.6 million Nigerians are currently using cannabis.
Marwa also disclosed that drug traffickers have resorted to voodoo to determine ‘lucky days’ to move drugs without detection, but they still fall into the hands of the Agency’s personnel who are now highly motivated to work.
He also said that he has signed various partnerships with local and foreign players to curtail the flow of illicit drugs and substances.
The NDLEA boss credited President Muhammadu Buhari as being the brain behind its recent successes in the war against illicit drugs and substances.
According to him, the political will and determination of the President have galvanized the officers and men of the Agency to do more in serving their fatherland.
‘It is prudent for me to state upfront that a progress report of the NDLEA should not be taken as an isolated appraisal; rather, it should be taken as an integral part of the anti-drug trafficking thrust of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari,’ he said.
‘Not only did the President set the tone for the fight against illicit drugs by handing the Agency the mandate, the direction and the set objectives, he also provided the catalyst, willpower, financial intervention and moral support that boosted NDLEA’s capability to deliver.
‘Coupled with the technical support of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, UNODC, the fight against illicit drugs has never been this intense, focused or impactful in Nigeria’s history. Expectedly, the results have been justifying.’
He warned that the Agency remains determined to comb the nooks and crannies of the country in search of drug barons, to arrest and jail them, based on the provisions of the NDLEA Act.
‘Without mincing words, the fight against trafficking in illicit substances is in full swing. This is the status quo since January 25, 2021, when NDLEA launched Operation Offensive Action to spearhead the renewed war against illicit substances. Up till this moment, the tempo remains high. Now and for many months to come, the Agency will sustain the momentum of its anti-drug activities across the length and breadth of Nigeria,’ he said.
Marwa noted that the anti-drug trafficking agenda can hardly be prosecuted without the Agency itself first going through a reform process to transform it into an efficient drug control apparatus.
‘The situation I met on the ground at the beginning of the year when I was appointed as Chairman/Chief Executive was a far cry from the ideal. The NDLEA at the time was decrepit, grossly incapacitated, hampered by institutional encumbrances, poorly funded and understaffed, and had meagre officers and men working in parlous conditions and under disenchanting circumstances.
‘Hence, the starting point was to find a way to reinvigorate the NDLEA workforce. That we have done through several impact measures, which among others included the promotion of 3, 506 officers whose careers had stagnated for as long as 20 years. Sequel to that, we also made spirited efforts to clear a pile of unpaid entitlements, including burial expenses to the families of 188 officers who died in the line of duty owed since 2014.
‘And for serving operatives, we put in place a bi-monthly reward system in addition to other career incentives. To avoid a relapse, the leadership set in motion a seamless process of continuous revision and upgrade of welfare and work conditions requisite for the emergence of a world-class anti-narcotic Agency.
‘Part of this process includes the proposed new salary structure, awaiting approval and implementation and the payment of Group Personnel Accident insurance, of which premiums have not been paid since 2014. But now, the Agency has tied up the loose ends and our officers and men are now eligible for prompt indemnities for permanent/temporary disability, medical expenses, injuries sustained in the line of duty and death. Their efficiency on the field has also been boosted with the distribution of vehicles and equipment including arms and ammunition to the various commands,’ Marwa stated.
According to the NDLEA Boss, the Act establishing the Agency is being reviewed and there are plans to recruit more personnel, to enhance efficiency.
‘To complete the overhaul process, we have invigorated the process of amending the NDLEA Act, to provide a more robust legal framework to deal with current drug trafficking and abuse challenges.
‘As a matter of necessity, we have also had to scale up our workforce by resuming the suspended 2019 recruitment and training of 5, 000 operatives, with more to join in the months ahead. Once the process is completed, the Agency’s workforce will have doubled by 200% by mid-2022.’
‘The imperative of sustained efficiency also necessitated the creation of new directorates, namely: Directorate of Planning, Research & Statistics; Directorate of Special Duties and Strike Force; Directorate of Media and Advocacy; Directorate of Airport Operations,’ he added.
‘Presently, the training of our Strike Force corps at the Nigerian Army School of Infantry has entered a closing phase. The creation of the Strike Force is an indication that NDLEA has upgraded the fight against illicit drugs in Nigeria to a full-scale onslaught that is being prosecuted with full strength.’
He announced that NDLEA has so far seized drugs and substances worth one billion naira, adding that the Agency would soon receive from support Germany, worth two million euros.
He said the money would be used to establish a Dog Training Centre, for the training of the Agency’s sniffer dogs.