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Drug war: UNODC Assures NDLEA of Additional Support, Partnership
Drug war: UNODC Assures NDLEA of Additional Support, Partnership
By: Michael Mike
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has assured the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) of further support and renewed partnership in its ongoing effort to rid Nigeria of substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking.
The assurance was given on Wednesday when the new Country Representative of UNODC in Nigeria, Mr. Cheikh Toure led a team of his top officials on a courtesy visit to the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd) at the agency’s national headquarters in Abuja.
Toure, while acknowledging the leadership role NDLEA plays in drug law enforcement in Africa and particularly the West African sub-region, said his visit was to re-engage with the agency on how to cascade the successes recorded at the national level to the states.
He said this is because the drug scourge is at the basis of most of the security challenges at the subnational level.
According to him: “It is very important for us to re-engage and re-energize the relationship between UNODC and NDLEA and I think that me coming here today is to tell you I want to re-engage and reinvigorate our relationship so that it serves Nigeria as a whole and also the rest of this sub-region by following your lead.
“NDLEA has been our partner and even facilitated our implementation in Nigeria. So, I want a re-engagement of UNODC with NDLEA to see how together we can develop a greater plan to support the remaining implementation of the master plan and going forward, the new stages of engagement with Nigeria. And one thing that we want to look at is how NDLEA can provide increased capacity building to West African member countries so that together we fight this menace and share best practices”
In his remarks, Marwa appreciated the global body for its support to the agency over the years while expressing confidence that the new Country Representative will take the existing relationship to a new height. While listing some of the numerous achievements the agency has attained in the areas of drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction in the past four years with support of local and international partners including the UNODC, the NDLEA boss said the visit by the team provided the opportunity to present before them some of the areas they should consider in their support for the agency.
He asked the UNODC to support the agency’s Alternative Development Programme, which is the first in Africa, aimed at providing alternative means of livelihood for cannabis growers. “And so, if we are able to provide an alternative, that would be good for them and for society. And so that’s one of the areas that I would like greater collaboration. We need some support on this.
“The drug use survey is another project that we need support. The one published in 2018 is quite stale and we need a re-assessment, and I remember two or three years ago in Vienna, I spoke to the Director of UNODC directly on the need. Happily, now it’s in your sights I understand. So, that’s a most welcome development for us to reassess, to see what is the prevalence now, and what are the new trends and so on and so forth.
“The National Drug Control Master Plan is another area of need. The current master plan is 2021-2025. Another one is due. So, that’s certainly one more area that we would work together towards. Then capacity building and training. This is key to our work, because every organization, the bottom-line is the personnel. So, this capacity building has helped us and we need more master trainers. Let me conclude with the tools; we need handy field test kits. You can check and see what’s going to be possible now, what will be possible next year, and so on. Just to help us continue to do the work that we’re doing.”
Drug war: UNODC Assures NDLEA of Additional Support, Partnership
Scores of ISWAP Terrorists Killed in Devastating NAF Airstrikes in Borno
By: Zagazola Makama
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF), under Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), has carried out a successful air interdiction, neutralizing scores of Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists and destroying their logistics hub in Arina, Marte Local Government Area of Borno State.
Intelligence sources told Zagazola Makama that the air operation, which took place on March 9, 2025, at about 0600 hours, was executed based on credible human intelligence (HUMINT) and confirmatory intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR).
The sources intelligence revealed suspicious movements and a large gathering of terrorists at the location, prompting the coordinated air strikes.
According to the sources , the air strikes targeted terrorist logistics, structures, and fighters, dealing a significant blow to their operational capabilities.
“The precision airstrikes effectively neutralized many ISWAP fighters and disrupted their logistics chain in the area. The operation further weakens the group’s ability to launch attacks on civilian and military targets,” the source stated.
Scores of ISWAP Terrorists Killed in Devastating NAF Airstrikes in Borno
Buni Approves Employment of 267 Health Technicians in Yobe
By: Michael Mike
Yobe State Governor, Hon. Mai Mala Buni has approved the employment of 267 health technicians to boost manpower requirements in health facilities across the state.
According to a statement on Monday by the spokesman to the governor, Mallam Mamman Mohammed, the employment covers 140 Buni Scholars who recently graduated in various fields of medical sciences in India.
Mohammed said the Buni Scholars include 43 Bsc Nursing, 43 Bsc Pharmacy, 22 Bsc Medical Laboratory Science, 24 Bsc Radiology, 7 Bsc Optometry and 1 Bsc Public Health graduates.
The spokesman said the governor had similarly approved the employment of 127 health technician currently serving as volunteers in health institutions across the state.
He said the governor directed the employment of the medical technicians who graduated earlier but were not formally employed but had been serving as volunteers in the medical centers.
According to him, the Buni Scholars are placed on CONHESS 8, while the volunteer technicians were placed on CONHESS 6/2.
The Buni administration had in the last five years consistently offered automatic employment to graduates of the state-owned Shehu Sule College of Nursing and Midwifery to improve personnel in the medical facilities.
It could be recalled that, the Buni administration established primary healthcare centres in the political wards of the state to bring healthcare delivery to the doorstep of the people.
Similarly, the government upgraded the four General Hospitals in Gashua, Potiskum, Geidam and Buni Yadi to Specialist hospitals, and eight Primary health centers to General hospitals while, the State Teaching hospital was equipped with state-of-the-art equipment to make Healthcare delivery accessible and affordable across the state.
Buni Approves Employment of 267 Health Technicians in Yobe
Troops Neutralize Bandit Leader ‘Yellow Aboki’ in Zamfara
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops conducting clearance operations in Zamfara State have neutralized a notorious bandit leader known as ‘Yellow Aboki’, a close ally of the late terror kingpin, Hassan Bamamu.
Security sources revealed to Zagazola Makama that Yellow Aboki was eliminated in a recent encounter with the troops of Operation FANSAN YANMA in the North West of Tsafe LGA.
His demise comes a weeks after the military’s successful operation that led to the elimination of Hassan Dantawaye also known as Bamamu, a feared bandit commander who was one of his closest associate.
It was gathered that Yellow Aboki had been consolidating his control over criminal activities in Zamfara following the death of Hassan Nabamamu .
He was believed to have been operating within the areas of Bamamu, Dan Mali, Agamalafiya, and Makera, where he coordinated violent attacks and kidnappings.
The Military sustained its crackdown on bandit kingpins in identified enclaves in Zamfara, Sokoto and other troubled areas in the North West.
The sustained pressure has diminished the capacity pf the bandits to confront the troops instead, they had resorted to pockets of attacks within vulnerable communities with less security coverage.
Troops Neutralize Bandit Leader ‘Yellow Aboki’ in Zamfara
Scores of ISWAP Terrorists Killed in Devastating NAF Airstrikes in Borno
Marwa: NDLEA officers’ welfare ‘ll continue to be my priority
LAWMAKERS COMMEND NSCDC BOSS FOR LANDMARK ACHIEVEMENTS IN COMBATING ILLEGAL MINING, HARPS ON SUSTAINED ZEST TO CURTAIL ECONOMIC SABOTAGE
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