IG Pledges to Partner NDLEA in War against Drugs

Michael Olugbode

The acting Inspector General of Police (IG), Usman Alkali, has assured the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd) of the full support and cooperation of the Nigerian Police Force in the fight to rid the country of illicit drugs.

The IG’s pledge came as the NDLEA boss disclosed that over two million kilogrammes of drugs worth over N80 billion have been seized in the last three months by the anti-drug agency.

Marwa also said over 3,000 suspects have been arrested for various drug-related offences with 350 convictions win over the same period of time.

Speaking yesterday during a courtesy visit to the NDLEA headquarters in Abuja, Alkali disclosed that both the Nigerian Police and the drug agency are integral part of policing the country against all forms of criminality, including drug abuse, hence there was the need for synergy among them.

He said: “NDLEA is part and parcel of the agencies to ensure law and order, as well as making sure criminality is brought to its barest minimum. Marwa has been in the business of crime prevention and control right from when he was in Borno State and later Lagos State. We know your efforts in sanitising the system.”

Alkali, who disclosed that he was at the NDLEA headquarters to pledge his unalloyed support and collaboration in the fight against drugs, said: “This is because behind every crime, including banditry, kidnapping, armed robbery, terrorism, there is always drug attached.

“In the last three months of your being in office, we have seen your impact, and it has helped to bring down the magnitude of crime the country would have experienced.

“We will do whatever is possible with the agency to control and contain criminality in this country, especially the trafficking of cannabis and fake drugs. We want to assure you that we are ready to synergise with you in tackling the drug menace anytime. We are ready to collaborate with NDLEA.”

In his remarks, Marwa said: “The need for collaboration between the NDLEA and the police is very important because in the second phase, where we are now, we will be going after drug barons. We will need the tracking and intelligence capacity support of the Nigerian Police.”

Marwa, while describing the visit of the IG as timely, said: “We need renewed collaboration in the fight because the use of drugs is now confirmed as a major precursor to criminality in Nigeria.

“Banditry, kidnapping, insurgency, cultism, armed robbery have been traced to drugs use because it makes these criminal elements fearless. But we are out for the traffickers and couriers, working on the mandate given to us by the president to eliminate the menace.”