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NDLEA asks political parties to make drug test part of screening for aspirants

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NDLEA asks political parties to make drug test part of screening for aspirants

NDLEA asks political parties to make drug test part of screening for aspirants

By: Michael Mike

Chairman/Chief Executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd) has advised  political parties to make drug integrity test part of the screening requirements for aspirants seeking to contest political offices in the 2023 elections on their platforms.

Marwa, gave this advice while responding to questions from journalists at the 2022 First Quarter Best Performing Commands Awards ceremony at the agency’s national headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday.

He said: “For politicians, we have long advocated and I take the opportunity again to repeat the advocacy that when they run for public office it demands a lot of responsibility from the person and we need to be certain if he’s a person that is already a drug addict/user who will spend all the money he’s given for public service to consume cocaine and his head will not be in a stable condition to handle the affairs he has been entrusted with. 

“For this reason, we have advocated and will continue to advocate that drug test be conducted for politicians; some state governments like Kano state is already doing this.

“Not just politicians, but government appointees, and I’ve just sent a letter this morning to the National Chairman of APC, who will be the first of the national working committee I wish to pay an advocacy visit on this issue. I recommended that drug tests be incorporated in the screening process for all those interested in running for public office; we’ll do the same to the PDP and other important parties.”

The NDLEA boss, while addressing officers and men of the agency present at the event, said the ceremony “has become part and parcel of our corporate culture. Recognizing and rewarding hard work and excellence has always been a pragmatic way of stimulating productivity and enhancing the attainment of organisational goals; making it a tradition for the agency is our way of enshrining meritocracy in the system.”

He said: “Statistics from the first quarter (Q1) report, indicated that our performance level has not dropped off. Indeed, achieving 3, 539 arrests, 677 convictions and seizures of 65, 916 kg of drugs in three months is no mean feat. Little wonder our performance continually earns the Agency deserved accolades from the right quarters within the country as well as from abroad, especially from international partners and peers. While we have not yet achieved the utopia of a drug-free society, the results showed that we are getting it right.” 

He told the officers that the awards and commendations are expected to spur them to surpass their current feats at the next awards ceremony.

.Also Read: Quadruplets Delivery: Husband solicits support from Lagos…

He said: “The ceremony should be a poignant reminder for us not to forget where we are coming from. And there is no better way to say it other than for us to be mindful of the saying that success has a hundred fathers, but failure is always an orphan. No organisation would understand this adage better than NDLEA in the light of our past rock bottom experience. 

“Therefore, we should all be mindful that we hold the fate of NDLEA in our hands, and that fate will be determined by our patriotism and dedication to duty, as well as our collective resolve to work towards the attainment of the agency’s mandate.

“Let me also seize this occasion to remind you about the importance of propagating the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) programme in your various commands. There is much we can achieve when our communities are working hand-in-hand with us. That is why our roadmap, the NDCMP 2021-2025, strongly emphasises collaboration with all the stakeholders in society. We have to woo members of society to work with us on this very important assignment. Therefore, I charge you to ensure that WADA is correctly and deeply entrenched in the spheres of operation of your respective commands.”

Marwa, while assuring the officers that the agency is proud of them, said: “The sacrifice of a narcotic officer cannot be quantified in gold or silver, for he is fulfilling a higher calling. As we go about our duty of securing our society against the corrosion of illicit drugs, we should be aware that we are the direct beneficiaries of our work because for every kilo of drugs seized, we are making our streets and society safer for our children, family and kinsmen.

NDLEA is proud of its workforce; the agency treasures the effort of its officers and men; the management shall continue to look out for their best interest. We shall continue to reward hard work and excellence.”

NDLEA asks political parties to make drug test part of screening for aspirants

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Crime

Bandits kill driver, abduct five passengers on Bagaga-Anka road

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Bandits kill driver, abduct five passengers on Bagaga-Anka road

By: Zagazola Makama

Armed bandits attacked a Golf vehicle on the Bagaga-Anka road in Zamfara State on April 26, 2025, killing the driver and abducting five passengers.

Sources told Zagazola Makama that the attack occurred at about 11:40 a.m. when the bandits blocked the road, shot dead the driver, and abducted the five passengers traveling in the vehicle.

Upon receiving the distress report, joint security forces were swiftly mobilized and dispatched to the scene. The injured driver was taken to Bagega Primary Healthcare for treatment.

Efforts to rescue the abducted victims are ongoing, with security agencies intensifying their search for the perpetrators.

Bandits kill driver, abduct five passengers on Bagaga-Anka road

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Crime

Police rescue 68 trafficking victims, arrest 16 suspects in Oyo State

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Police rescue 68 trafficking victims, arrest 16 suspects in Oyo State

By: Zagazola Makama

Police in Oyo State have rescued 68 victims of human trafficking and arrested 16 suspects, including 10 males and 6 females, following a raid on a hideout in Kajorepo community, Agabala Daniel Area.

Sources reliably informed Zagazola Makama that the operation, carried out on April 26, 2025, was based on credible intelligence from the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit of the State Intelligence Division (SID).

The rescued victims include 47 males, 20 females, and one child. They were found locked in a building where they were reportedly being held with the intent to be trafficked.

The suspects were taken into custody for interrogation, while the victims were provided with care and assistance. The building was sealed off, and patrol teams have been deployed to prevent any attempts by an angry mob to destroy the property.

The sources added that further investigations are ongoing to dismantle the trafficking network.

Police rescue 68 trafficking victims, arrest 16 suspects in Oyo State

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Crime

Police smash kidnapping syndicate terrorising Taraba, neighbouring states

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Police smash kidnapping syndicate terrorising Taraba, neighbouring states

By: Zagazola Makama

The Taraba State Police Command, in collaboration with operatives of the Force Intelligence Department (FID) of the Force Headquarters Abuja, has arrested members of a notorious kidnap and banditry syndicate responsible for terrorising communities across Taraba, Adamawa, Gombe, Plateau, Bauchi, and Kaduna States.

Security sources told Zagazola
Makama that the breakthrough, according to the Command, was achieved following credible intelligence that was processed into actionable operations, leading to the arrest of key gang members on April 25.

The sources said that the operatives, working in conjunction with a local vigilante group, apprehended three suspects at about 10:00 a.m.

Those arrested were identified as Shehu Ibrahim, 27, of Larai Gada, Ilorin; Abdullahi Haruna, 28, of Angwan Karofi, Bauchi; and Yusuf Bello, 40, of Birama Village, Donga Local Government Area of Taraba State.

“Upon interrogation, the suspects confessed to their involvement in multiple kidnapping operations across the affected states,” the spokesperson said.

Items recovered from them include one AK-47 rifle, two AK-49 rifles, six AK magazines, and 45 live rounds of ammunition.

The police sources noted that the recent arrests follow earlier operations that led to the capture of other members of the same criminal gang.

Those earlier apprehended include Suleiman Mohammed, 28, of Lariski, Gombe State; Tijjani Bello, 30, of Nasarawo, Jalingo; Muhammed Umar, 25, of Sabon Gari, Jalingo; Adamu Ibrahim, 22, of Mutum Daya, Karim Lamido; Solomon Nathaniel, 32, of Logo, Benue State; and Haruna Adamu, 25, of Lushi Village, Lau, Taraba State.

From these earlier arrests, the police recovered three AK-47 rifles, one AK-49 rifle, and four AK-47 magazines.

He said that three suspects have confessed to several heinous crimes, including kidnappings for ransom, armed robbery, and attacks on rural communities.

He added that investigations are ongoing to apprehend the remaining members of the syndicate and dismantle the network completely.

Police smash kidnapping syndicate terrorising Taraba, neighbouring states

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