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Senate to Partner with NDLEA to Fight Drug Menace
Senate to Partner with NDLEA to Fight Drug Menace
By: Michael Mike
The Upper Chamber of the National Assembly has expressed willingness to partner and support the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), in the task of ridding Nigeria of drug menace.
The Senate Committee on Drugs and Narcotics while commending the leadership of NDLEA for its unrelenting war against substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking, said it was prepared and committed to partner and support the agency to succeed in its onerous task of ridding Nigeria of the drug menace.
The assurance was given after the Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd) briefed the Committee on the activities, challenges and achievements of the agency in the last 34 months at the National Assembly complex, Abuja.
Marwa, during the briefing on Tuesday, 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.
He said: “Families, communities, young people and old men and women and indeed the very fabric of our society is daily being destroyed by drug abuse.” He added that 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.”
Speaking on some of its achievements in the areas of drug demand reduction and drug supply reduction, Marwa said: “The agency 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 highlighted some of the challenges facing the agency to include: inadequate funding, dearth of standard rehabilitation centres, lack of operational boats and vehicles, forensic laboratories and poor salary structure for personnel among others.
Marwa said the modest achievements recorded by the agency in the past months couldn’t 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 Dankwambo said: “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.”
Also speaking, Vice Chairman of the Committee, Senator Osita Ngwu said: “We are so glad that the NDLEA is working and we are seeing the results. Over 6000 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.”
Other members of the committee who spoke toed the same line of commendation and assurance while 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.
Senate to Partner with NDLEA to Fight Drug Menace
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Nation mourns as brave Commanding Officer, six soldiers fall after repelling attack in Monguno
Nation mourns as brave Commanding Officer, six soldiers fall after repelling attack in Monguno
By: Zagazola Makama
Grief and solemn reflection have trailed the tragic loss of a Commanding Officer and six gallant soldiers of Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), whose lives were cut short shortly after successfully repelling a terrorist attack in Monguno, Borno.
In the late hours of April 12, troops of Sector 3, Joint Task Force (North East), came under an isolated infiltration attempt at Charlie 13 location. With courage and determination, the soldiers engaged the attackers in a fierce gun battle, eventually forcing them to flee and securing the area.
But even in victory, tragedy struck. Driven by an unyielding sense of duty and deep concern for his men, the Commanding Officer chose to move forward, towards the very danger others would avoid, to personally assess the situation on ground. It was a decision that reflected the very essence of true leadership: to lead from the front, to share in the risks, and to stand shoulder to shoulder with his troops.
In that moment of selfless courage, his vehicle encountered an Improvised Explosive Device (IED), killing him and six of his men. Their loss is not just a statistic, it is a profound human tragedy.
They were fathers, brothers, sons, and comrades. They were men who wore the nation’s uniform with pride, who stood in the face of danger so others could sleep in peace. They did not retreat when confronted with terror; instead, they stood firm, defended their ground, and ultimately gave everything.
The silence they leave behind echoes loudly across the ranks.
Operation HADIN KAI, in a statement by its Media Information Officer, Lt.-Col. Sani Uba, expressed deep sorrow, describing the fallen officer as a symbol of courage, sacrifice, and unwavering commitment to duty. Their ultimate sacrifice, the statement noted, will forever remain etched in the memory of the Armed Forces and the nation they served with honour.
As the country mourns these heroes, their bravery lives on not only in the victory they secured that night, but in the enduring reminder that freedom and security are often paid for with the highest price.
Nation mourns as brave Commanding Officer, six soldiers fall after repelling attack in Monguno
Troops rescue kidnap victim in kogi
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops of 12 Brigade, Nigerian Army, have rescued a kidnap victim during a patrol operation in Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi.
Zagazola report that the rescue was carried out at about 2:07 p.m. on April 10 by troops deployed at the Forward Operating Base (FOB) Egbe.
Sources said the troops, while on patrol within the general area of Aaru Cashew Plantation, located the victim who had been abandoned by his captors.
Preliminary interrogation revealed that the victim was abducted on April 1 at Ejiba Community in the same local government area.
He further disclosed that the kidnappers fled and abandoned him upon sighting troops advancing towards the Dadi Kowa general area.
The victim was subsequently debriefed and safely reunited with his family.
Troops rescue kidnap victim in kogi
Troops foil motorcycle snatching attempt, rescue victims in Kaduna
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops of 4 Demonstration Battalion have foiled an attempted motorcycle snatching and rescued two civilians along the Zaria–Kaduna highway in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
Security sources said the incident occurred at about 5:45 a.m. on April 10 near Old Berger Camp.
The sources disclosed that troops deployed at the Forward Operating Base (FOB) Birnin Yero responded swiftly to a distress call about an attack on two civilians riding a motorcycle towards Zaria.
“On arrival, the troops discovered that the victims had been forced to stop by a vehicle conveying suspected criminals, who were in the process of loading the motorcycle into their car trunk.
“However, the criminals abandoned the motorcycle and fled the scene upon sighting the troops,” the source said.
The injured victims were evacuated for medical attention, while the recovered motorcycle is in the custody of the troops.
Efforts are ongoing to track down the fleeing suspects and bring them to justice.
Troops foil motorcycle snatching attempt, rescue victims in Kaduna
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