Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) has said that a total of 15 drug kingpins out of 3, 412 offenders that were successfully prosecuted and convicted in 2023 bagged 168 years of imprisonment collectively.
Marwa disclosed this on Wednesday 7th February while addressing commanders, officers and men of the Agency during an awards and commendations ceremony at its national headquarters in Abuja where a total of 104 personnel and 13 commands that had outstanding performances in the 2nd half of 2023 were recognized and rewarded.
The NDLEA boss also explained that to create awareness about the dangers of substance abuse aimed at prevention and encourage those already in it to seek treatment, the Agency intensified its war against drug abuse (WADA) advocacy initiative nationwide.
The frequency and intensity of our advocacy throughout the year improved considerably. Zonal and state commands have been very dedicated to propagating WADA advocacy. As a result, a total of 2,725 sensitisation lectures and programmes were held in schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others. A breakdown of the WADA lectures held in 2023 shows: 807 in Primary/Secondary Schools; 146 in Tertiary Institutions; 488 for out of school children; 264 in worship centres; 140 in military/paramilitary organisations; 90 in other work places, among others. Just as well, our commands and formations have coped with the increased workload of counselling activities leading to the counselling and rehabilitation of 10, 904 drug users.
He said those who have been in the Agency longer than 2021 can attest to the fact that the past three years have brought different dynamics to the operations and performance of the agency, a development that has attracted commendations from home and abroad. He assured that he will not relent in his effort to improve the welfare of the NDLEA workforce.
He however warned that the Agency will be firm on disciplinary issues and won’t take infractions lightly. Every officer of NDLEA is expected to work within the ambit of the core values and strictly adhere to the standard operating procedure. While expecting officers to be the epitome of service, selflessness and sacrifice.
He further expressed appreciation to individuals and institutions that have contributed to the success of the Agency.
