The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Brig Gen Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd), yesterday approved a special promotion for eight officers of the Marine Command for their brave and professional conduct.
The officers were rewarded for their bravery during a recent operation to arrest drug traffickers and interdict canoes and boats moving illicit drugs from Ghana to Nigeria through the Lagos waterways.
Speaking at a brief ceremony to decorate the eight officers with their new ranks and also hand them commendation letters at the agency’s National Headquarters in Abuja, Marwa said: “Every time we have a breakthrough, it tells the world a story about the new NDLEA we are working hard to build. It also reinforces our conviction as an organisation that we are on the right track. So, an occasion like this is a source of pride for me.”
The promoted officers are Dick Aaron Dick; Alabi Mayowa; Gabriel Ubokikwan; Aso Daniel John; Abdul Emmanuel Sule; Ngabolo Victor Sonpano; Jonah Emmanuel Sule, and Membe Timipa Gabriel.
Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, the team leader Aaron Dick expressed gratitude to the NDLEA boss for transforming the agency into an efficient and result-oriented organisation through purposeful and exemplary leadership. He said the special promotion and commendation will motivate him and his colleagues to do more and inspire other agency personnel to be exceptional in discharging their duties.
Justifying the essence of the promotion and commendation, the NDLEA boss said: “In this case, we have officers who exhibited bravery and an unwavering sense of duty in the face of adversity on the waterways to thwart an attempt by a criminal gang to smuggle 60 jumbo bags of illicit drugs from a neighbouring country.
Despite apparent attempts to thwart our interdiction bid, our officers were resilient and prevailed.
“In recognition of their gallantry, they are given special promotion, and we are holding this ceremony to decorate them in keeping with our culture of rewarding hard work, results, and sacrifice.”
Marwa added that the reward scheme is also part of the sweeping reforms he instituted in the past three years to motivate officers to raise their performance.
While recapping the details of the particular operation, Marwa said: “On August 23, the Special Marine Squad received actionable intelligence at about 3:00 a.m. They immediately swung into action and intercepted a boat along Alfa Beach in Lekki, Lagos. Another boat was equally sighted. They, however, faced some unfavourable encounters in the process of intercepting the second boa. Still, in the face of violent provocation, our officers stayed focused as they recovered the exhibits.
“They were able to seize 60 bags of Ghanaian Loud, a strong strain of cannabis, weighing 2 400 kgs. They successfully arrested a Ghanaian suspect, Hambo Tete, 30, and impounded the exhibit boat powered by three outboard engines.”
