The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), has called for stronger collaboration among security agencies, the Nigeria Customs Service, Lekki Deep Sea Port and the Lekki Free Zone to combat drug trafficking through Nigeria’s maritime corridor.
Marwa made the call during a working visit to the Lekki Deep Sea Port, where he commended the port management, Customs and other stakeholders for supporting the agency’s operations since the port commenced activities.
Describing the Lekki Deep Sea Port as a critical national economic asset, the NDLEA boss praised the Nigeria Customs Service for its revenue generation efforts and urged sustained cooperation in preventing drug traffickers from exploiting the country’s seaports.
He warned that Nigeria continues to battle a growing drug abuse and trafficking problem, stressing that tackling the menace requires a whole-of-society approach involving government institutions, communities and families.“It couldn’t be the job of the NDLEA alone to deal with this challenge. It’s everybody’s effort that will count,” Marwa said.
The NDLEA Chairman referenced the agency’s recent operation in Ogun State, where a Federal High Court sat at the site of what the agency described as Nigeria’s largest clandestine methamphetamine laboratory. He said the facility had the capacity to produce methamphetamine worth about 360 million dollars, adding that its destruction prevented the drugs from reaching Nigerian streets.
Marwa also disclosed that despite attempts by traffickers to divert shipments through alternative ports, the agency intercepted more than two billion tramadol pills at Onne Port within the last 18 months.
He noted that the NDLEA is working closely with counterparts in India, Pakistan and other countries to track suspicious cargo before it arrives in Nigeria.
Warning drug traffickers, he declared that the agency would continue to pursue offenders relentlessly while expressing optimism that the proposed amendment to the NDLEA Act, which prescribes stiffer penalties for drug offences, would soon become law.
The NDLEA Chairman also urged parents to pay closer attention to their children, advocating early drug testing and prompt treatment for anyone showing signs of substance abuse before addiction develops.
Meanwhile, the Area Commander of the NDLEA at Lekki Deep Sea Port, Commander Jonah Achema, described the establishment of the command before the commencement of port operations as a visionary decision that gave the agency an operational advantage over criminal networks.
He said the command quickly recorded major successes with large tramadol seizures and attributed the recent decline in arrests to the deterrent effect of the agency’s enforcement activities.Achema, however, raised concerns over the vulnerability of free trade zones to drug trafficking because of their large workforce and proximity to the port.
He appealed for the inclusion of the NDLEA among resident security agencies within the Lekki Free Zone to improve surveillance, intelligence gathering and anti-drug sensitisation programmes.The commander also appealed for additional office accommodation to support the command’s expanding operations.
Also speaking, Managing Director of the Lagos Free Zone, Adesuwa Ladoja, reaffirmed the zone’s commitment to maintaining a zero-tolerance policy against illicit trade and drug trafficking. She said the Free Zone would continue to strengthen operational collaboration with the NDLEA and support awareness campaigns to keep the business environment drug-free.
Similarly, the Managing Director of Lekki Deep Sea Port, Wang Qiang said the port’s management fully supports the NDLEA’s zero-tolerance approach to drug trafficking.Drawing from China’s long history of combating drug abuse, Du noted that strict enforcement and close collaboration with security agencies are essential to maintaining a secure and globally competitive port.
He said the NDLEA had partnered with the port from the planning stage, including the provision of office space, and pledged continued support to ensure Lekki Deep Sea Port remains free of illicit activities while achieving its ambition of becoming one of Africa’s leading seaports.