The Senate Committee on Drugs and Narcotics has commended the Chairman/CEO of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, (NDLEA), retired Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa over the agency’s recent unslaught against drug trafficking and substance abuse across the country.
The committee gave the commendation on Tuesday when Marwa appeared before it to brief its members on the activities of the NDLEA.
Marwa during his appearance before the committee gave a comprehensive breakdown of activities, challenges and achievements of the agency since his assumption of office.
He said the global supply and demand of illicit drugs, including opioids and synthetic drugs has exacerbated the world drug problem, with devastating impact on people and their well-being across borders and continents.
According to him, families, communities, young people and old men and women and indeed the very fabric of the society are daily being destroyed by drug abuse.
He said the scourge is at the basis of the security challenges facing not only Nigeria but other nations and as such, no effort must be spared in addressing the problem.
He, however , said the agency is intensifying efforts in the areas of drug demand reduction and drug supply reduction.
To this end, Marwa said the agency has re-ignited its intelligence-based enforcement capabilities, focusing on drug barons and cartels, with a view to cutting off supplies and taking illicit drugs away from our streets.
“This is yielding positive results with the arrest of 36,096 drug traffickers, among them 40 barons, between January 2021 and September 2023.
“The agency has recorded seizures of 6,668 tons of drugs, worth over N635 billion.
“About 957.319 hectares of cannabis farms have been destroyed across 12 states within the period under review, while we successfully prosecuted and got convictions in 6,043 cases.
“Presently, there are 11,166 pending cases in Federal High Court across the country. And between January 2021 and September 2023, over 27,432 drug-dependent individuals have been counselled and discharged from our counselling and treatment facilities across the country,” he explained.
The Chairman said : “challenges facing the agency include inadequate funding, dearth of standard rehabilitation centres, lack of operational boats and vehicles, forensic laboratories and poor salary structure for personnel among others.”
He said the modest achievements recorded by the agency in the past 34 months could not have been possible without the backing of the Executive, the Judiciary and the Legislature.
“We are hopeful that we will get even more impactful support from the 10th Senate.
“We look forward to your assistance in taking care of some Gordian knots that can only be solved by legislative means, ” he added.
In his remarks, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Drugs and Narcotics, Senator Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo commended Marwa , management and staff of the NDLEA fir a job well done.
“I want to assure you that the newly inaugurated members of the committee are fully committed to working with the NDLEA.
“All the members have assured that they would contribute and do their best in working to eradicate the use of illicit drugs and narcotics in Nigeria.
“We will consider the possibility of having an emergency summit on drugs because of the seriousness of the issue,” Dankwambo said.
In his remark, the Vice Chairman of the Committee, Senator Osita Ngwu expressed delight that the NDLEA is living up to expectations of Nigeria in its anti-narcotic activities.
” We are so glad that the NDLEA is working and we are seeing the results.
“Over 6, 000 tons of drugs confiscated is not a joke.
“I use this medium to encourage you, and whatever support you need from our end, we will give.
“We are all passionate about reducing drug demand, if we don’t deal with it now, it will destroy us.
“Whatever support we can give we will provide for you to continue this fight, so that we can take drugs off our streets and make our youth useful.
“We are all going to work together by all means to make sure that all we discussed here will be put in process,” he stated .
In their separate remarks, other members of the committee toed the same line of commendation and assurance.
They all agreed to fast track the amendment of the NDLEA Act earlier passed by the 9th Senate but returned to the 10th Senate because it lapsed.
(vitalnewsngr.com)
