The Chief Executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohammed Buba Marwa (Retd) has justified the ongoing operations by the anti-narcotics agency to identify and seize funds and assets linked to drug barons and traffickers.
The NDLEA boss announced this in Abuja at an award ceremony to 45 outstanding officers and men as well as best performing commands award for the months of March and April, 2021.
He said the vigour with which the Agency was targeting drug cartels has led to the seizure of drugs and cash worth over N90billion in four months. He said there was need to deny criminal elements all benefits of their proceeds of crime in addition to sending them to jail.
According to him, “We are breaking these new grounds, because of our collective resolve and our rededication to service. That is why we have strengthened our Directorate of Assets and Financial Investigations to go after all assets or funds linked to drug trafficking which had led to interim and final forfeiture orders on assets and funds worth billions of naira linked to drug traffickers and barons. Of significant interest is our current investigation of a N30 billion slush fund believed to be proceeds of drugs.”
“We wouldn’t have been able to arrest 2,175 drug traffickers, neither would the seizure of 2,050,766.33 kilograms of assorted illicit drugs have been possible if you had chosen to do just the minimal work across your various commands. If our approach has been one of business as usual, we would not have been able to seize drug and cash valued at over N90 billion in just four months,” Marwa explained.
Commendation
He said he instituted the bi-monthly commendation and award system to reward outstanding officers, men and commands as well as to motivate them and their counterparts to do more.
“As we are gathered here today to recognise and applaud you for your outstanding performances, let me also remind you that the reward for good work is more work,” he said.
He charged all to do much more so that in another two months when reviewing records of performance, the effect would have doubled.
Lateefah Ibrahim
